As soon as Shen Lingzhen returned to the inner quarters, she took a bath to calm her nerves. By the time dinner approached and she had just begun to settle, she heard of another incident.
A servant reported that Huo Shuyi was bedridden with injuries and would likely have to take her meals in her room for the next few days.
Shen Lingzhen immediately connected this to the conflict between Huo Shuyi, her brother, and their mother. She had previously heard crying and shouting from Huo Shuyi’s courtyard, but hadn’t known she’d been punished.
Though Shen Lingzhen had been hoping to avoid Huo Liuxing out of lingering fear, she now had no choice but to steel herself and seek him out to ask about Huo Shuyi.
After all, Ji Momo had once said this matter likely involved her. At the time, Shen Lingzhen had refrained from intervening, worried that Huo Shuyi disliked her. But now, to remain silent would be a breach of courtesy.
She arrived at the door of Huo Liuxing’s study and raised her hand to knock. But the image of what had happened at the Shen residence flashed through her mind, and she shivered, pulling her hand back.
She lifted her hand, then withdrew it, again and again, until the door suddenly swung open from inside.
“What are you doing, sneaking around like a thief?”
Shen Lingzhen instinctively covered her neck at the sight of him.
Huo Liuxing raised an eyebrow, amused. He lifted his hand and waved it. “I’ve washed my hands.”
Shen Lingzhen tried her best not to show her discomfort and followed him inside.
In the study, Kongqing was grinding ink, while Jingmo was laying out paper.
Shen Lingzhen hesitated. “Am I interrupting your work?”
Of course she was. Huo Liuxing had been preparing to draft a letter, intending to send someone to secretly investigate Shen Lingzhen’s mysterious savior.
He was certain: while someone within the Huo estate might be able to forge his sword or replicate his scars, no one could truly mimic his swordsmanship. So now, his suspicions had shifted outward.
But with Shen Lingzhen’s arrival, he couldn’t risk her seeing his handwriting, so the pen remained untouched.
He shook his head. “Your matters are important too.”
Shen Lingzhen paused. “Well… it’s not entirely about me. I came to ask about Eldest Young Lady…”
She didn’t finish her sentence, but Huo Liuxing understood. “She was punished with ten lashes. My mother was measured in her judgment, it’s nothing serious. A few days of rest and she’ll recover.”
Ten lashes, and just “a few days”? If it were her, Shen Lingzhen thought, she might never recover.
Her eyes widened. “What did she do to deserve such a harsh punishment? Was it because of me?” She looked apologetic. “If so…”
“It had nothing to do with you,” Huo Liuxing interrupted.
Kongqing, still grinding ink nearby, nodded in quiet agreement.
If Young Madam knew the truth, she’d surely be upset. This time, Master’s lie was surprisingly considerate.
Shen Lingzhen blushed slightly, caught off guard. “Then I was being presumptuous. I thought… you were standing up for me.”
Huo Liuxing faltered. “Oh. Well, she did confront you several times. That alone warranted punishment, let’s count that as part of it.”
Shen Lingzhen hesitated, lips parted.
“What is it? Speak freely.”
“Husband… I’ve never understood why Eldest Young Lady targets me so much.” She looked embarrassed. “It’s not something I can ask her directly, and I don’t know who else to turn to. I’ve kept it bottled up for so long… I had to ask you.”
Huo Liuxing’s smile froze.
Even Jingmo, standing nearby, hadn’t expected Shen Lingzhen to be so direct. His breath caught as memories of that incident from ten years ago resurfaced.
The roots of that matter were tangled and complex.
Since the founding of Great Qi, the Emperor, having ascended the throne through questionable means, had long feared the military generals of the court. For years, he enforced a policy of “civil over martial,” which gradually weakened the nation’s military strength. The northwestern borders suffered constant harassment from the Western Qiang tribes.
Eventually, the drawbacks of suppressing the military became too obvious to ignore. After seventeen years on the throne, the emperor felt his rule was secure and sought to restore Great Qi’s martial prowess. He approved the Huo family’s petition to “end war with war” and launch a campaign against Western Qiang.
In that first campaign, Huo Liuxing led the army to a sweeping victory, dealing a heavy blow to Western Qiang and earning fame across the land.
The court was all smiles, congratulating the Emperor with cries of “Strengthen Great Qi! Raise our national prestige!”
But beneath those cheers lay fear.
The once-invincible Huo family army had been wiped out in a civil war twenty-seven years prior and had remained dormant ever since. Now, suddenly reemerging, they were unstoppable, slaying gods and Buddhas alike.
Six months later, when Huo Liuxing launched a second northern campaign, controversy erupted in the court. Critics accused the Huo family of arrogance and self-interest, claiming they had waged an unjust war that ignored the people’s welfare and brought shame to Great Qi.
These voices sowed doubt in the Emperor’s once-bold heart.
At that moment, the head of the Shen family’s second branch—Shen Lingzhen’s Second Uncle—quietly approached the Emperor. He revealed that a prince of the former dynasty still lived in Bianjing, born of Huo Liuxing’s Aunt and the last Emperor. After all these years, the Huo family still retained such formidable power, could they be plotting a restoration?
That single word “restoration” snuffed out the Emperor’s ambition to revive Great Qi’s military might. The war in the northwest took a sharp turn for the worse.
Huo Liuxing’s once-unbeatable army, deep in Western Qiang territory, suddenly lost its supply lines and found itself surrounded, isolated, and helpless. In the end, they were captured by Western Qiang.
Huo Shuyi’s biological father perished there.
With such deep-seated hatred between them, it was already impossible for Huo Shuyi to accept anyone from the Shen family, let alone when “feelings” were involved. Jingmo, having served Huo Liuxing closely for years, could easily see the way Huo Shuyi looked at him.
But Jingmo also knew: whether out of hatred or affection, now was not the time to reveal anything to Shen Lingzhen.
If it were hatred, it would expose that the Huo family had spies in the capital, how else could they have known that the Shen family was behind the events of ten years ago?
If it were affection, how could Shen Lingzhen ever find her footing in the Huo household?
Jingmo couldn’t help but worry for Huo Liuxing.
Huo Liuxing remained silent for a long moment before offering a vague explanation. “She mistakenly believes I haven’t let go of what happened twenty-seven years ago, so she’s upset on my behalf. But you needn’t worry, I was just a newborn then. The feud between our families is something I only learned about growing up. It’s long behind me.”
Shen Lingzhen blinked in surprise. “The feud between our families… you mean?”
Huo Liuxing looked puzzled, as if unsure why she was asking. “I meant my Elder Brother.”
Shen Lingzhen lowered her gaze. “Your brother died in the war. If I could apologize on behalf of my Royal Uncle, I would. But I’m not of the Zhao bloodline, and even if I were, I wouldn’t have the right to speak for the Emperor…”
Huo Liuxing’s expression shifted as he looked at her.
Jingmo was stunned too, glancing at Huo Liuxing with confusion.
A realization began to dawn on Huo Liuxing. “Oh,” he said softly. “Of course. That’s why I said Shuyi is being narrow-minded and immature.” Seeing Shen Lingzhen’s crestfallen look, he glanced at the darkening sky outside and smiled. “You’ve had a fright today. Go rest, I’ll come by shortly.”
Shen Lingzhen nodded and left the study.
The moment she was gone, the smile vanished from Huo Liuxing’s face.
Jingmo, still reeling, asked, “Young Master… does Young Madam truly not know that your brother died by her mother’s blade? And that…” And that your mother, devastated by the loss of her son, charged into battle shortly after giving birth and died on the front lines.
Huo Liuxing’s brow furrowed deeply.
Ten years ago, the actions of the Shen family’s second branch were shady and best kept out of sight, so it was understandable that Shen Lingzhen knew nothing of them. But the event from twenty-seven years ago, when the Princess Royal led troops to kill the Huo family’s eldest son, was no secret.
In fact, that incident was precisely why the Emperor chose to marry Shen Lingzhen into the Huo family. Since it was Princess Royal who had taken the life of a Huo son, offering her only daughter in marriage was meant to appease the Huo family’s resentment and win their allegiance.
Otherwise, with so many princesses in Bianjing of higher rank than Shen Lingzhen, why would the Emperor choose her to mend ties?
Huo Liuxing had always assumed Shen Lingzhen knew this history. After all, she was the only child of the Shen family’s main branch. If she hadn’t been told of the feud before marrying into the Huo family, wouldn’t that be absurd?
But now, it seemed she truly had no idea.
Huo Liuxing sent Jingmo to confirm the matter with Ji Momo. After the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Jingmo returned and said Ji Momo wished to speak with him.
“Let her in,” Huo Liuxing said.
Jingmo gestured for her to enter.
Ji Momo stepped inside and bowed. “Young Master.”
Huo Liuxing smiled, calm and composed. “So you’ve come to explain why Princess Royal deliberately kept the past from her daughter?”
Ji Momo knelt and touched her forehead to the ground. “This old servant has overstepped. I beg your to understand Princess Royal’s heart as a mother. Back then, the two sides were enemies, her clash with the Huo family was a matter of circumstance. Now that time has passed, His Majesty wishes Young Madam to repay the debt her mother owes. Princess Royal is not without sorrow.”
“These past days, you have come to understand Young Madam’s nature. If she had known from the start, if she realized she was being traded like an object, she would have been heartbroken. And once inside the Huo household, she would never have been able to lift her head before you. Princess Royal loves her daughter deeply and did not wish her to bear the burden of past enmity. I hope you can understand.”
Huo Liuxing blinked slowly, saying nothing.
Ji Momo bowed even lower. “This old servant dares to ask on behalf of Her Highness the Princess Royal—will you, in the future… tell Young Madam the truth about this matter?”
Huo Liuxing’s face remained calm and unreadable for a long moment. Then, he suddenly let out a quiet laugh.
The people of Bianjing… Zhao Xun didn’t want him to return to court, so he schemed tirelessly to bring him down, that was the mantis. The emperor, now finding him useful, tried to win him over, yet feared he might harbor disloyalty. So he sent Zhao Xun, who bore him ill will, to deliver the bride, using his own son to test Huo Liuxing’s intentions. That was the oriole.
And Princess Royal? Had she defied the Emperor outright, she might have succeeded in canceling the marriage. But doing so would have offended the Emperor and risked disaster for the Shen family. Yet she also believed the Huo family was not to be trusted. If they ever turned against the throne, her daughter, caught in the middle, would suffer a tragic fate. So she kept Shen Lingzhen in the dark, leaving her completely innocent.
The ignorant bear no guilt. Even if Huo Liuxing harbored resentment over the past, how could he strike at someone as soft and unknowing as cotton? How could he hold it against Shen Lingzhen?
This old nanny wasn’t truly asking whether he would tell Shen Lingzhen the truth.
She was asking whether he would hold her in his heart. If he did, he would cherish her. He would protect her from the truth, just as Princess Royal had done.
Princess Royal was neither mantis nor oriole, she was a hawk.
She had planned it all long ago. If one day the Huo family and the Emperor were truly at odds, she needed to secure both sides.
She wanted Huo Liuxing to care for Shen Lingzhen. That way, if the Huo family ever rebelled, he would do everything in his power to keep her safe.
All these days, he had been watching Shen Lingzhen, probing her, trying to discern Princess Royal’s stance and intentions. Yet he had found nothing, until today, when he finally understood. The shrewd Princess Royal didn’t care about his injured leg, nor was she surprised by his ambitions.
She had used a beauty trap.
And now, she was asking him, had he taken the bait?
Huo Liuxing laughed. “Well played. What a formidable Princess Royal.”
Author’s note: Old fox—just tell me, did you fall for it or not?
