Dianxia allows
After being lashed thirty times, Huo Xiao lay down for half a month before he could barely move. During this period, many people came to express their sympathy and solicitude, and most of their words criticized the Ninth Prince for his licentiousness and cruelty.
It would be okay even if he couldn’t bear to part with romantic places before. After all, most of the noble young men in the capital also had some hobbies, but this time Zhou Huaiyan humiliated the general guarding the border for the sake of a lowly foreign slave.
This disposition was certainly different. Several ministers even wrote a letter complaining about this matter, which caused an uproar in the city.
“Grand Duke, these are the names on the list of people who have come to visit me. Your Highness is really smart. There are indeed some problems with the people inside.”
In the study, General Huo Xiao placed the envelope on the desk, looking hesitant.
“But that foreign slave…”
“You take a look at this first.”
Duke Wei took out a stack of paper from the small box. Huo Xiao took it and read it ten lines at a glance.
“Jiangnan’s Yun family…?”
There were many large rivers and well-developed waterways in the territory of the Zhou Dynasty. The Yun family in Jiangnan had been engaged in shipping for generations, almost controlling the waterways of the Great Zhou Dynasty, having wealth equivalent to that of an entire nation.
Back then, the legitimate daughter of the Yun family went to the northern border for business matters. On the way, she encountered a foreign invasion from the south. When she escaped from the snowfield and came back, she was already pregnant and was about to give birth. Soon after, she gave birth to a green-eyed baby boy in a farmer’s home on the northern border.
Huo Xiao was shocked,
“That foreign slave is actually a direct descendant of the Yun family. If so… is His Highness aware of this matter?”
“Otherwise, do you really think he’s so fascinated by those eyes that he can't tell which way is the north?”
Duke Wei snorted lightly,
“That boy looks stupid and dandy, but he’s actually as clever as a fox. He even dares to deceive people around Laofu.”
After saying that, he glanced meaningfully at the silent steward, He Jin, next to him. The latter only lowered his head respectfully and did not answer, which could be regarded as his tacit approval.
When Duke Wei asked He Jin to check Ah Fei’s life experience, the latter immediately gave the results to Zhou Huaiyan.
Duke Wei later found out, but he didn’t expose it. As a prince, it was better to be more thoughtful, supposing that Zhou Huaiyan really wanted to step on him to ascend onto the throne.
Jiang Yi was also willing.
Throughout the ages, if you want to compete for the emperor’s throne, one needs soldiers first and wealth second. The power of the Yun family can not only control the military line but also support the country’s wealth.
This move was extremely well done.
Now that his identity has been checked, Duke Wei doesn’t want to discuss this matter anymore.
“Have you found unusual movements in the north?”
Huo Xiao knelt down on one knee,
“This subordinate is ashamed of himself. I only found that people were colluding with the foreigners and were hiding in the army. The specific people have not yet been identified. However, their manpower in the army couldn’t reach the capital. There may be no fewer than four parties involved in the assassination.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Four parties…
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“Yes, as soon as the Wang family fell, there was an excessive amount of unrestrained Buddhist lectures being held in White Horse Temples. The temples were crowded with people, and many officials also went there.”
“Nonsense.”
Zhou Huaiyan sneered. He clasped the tabletop lightly, lost in thought,
“I remember that White Horse Temples seemed to have only risen to fame in the year when Prince Jing plotted a rebellion?”
“Yes. Twenty years ago, Prince Jing plotted a rebellion and staged an armed rebellion. The White Horse Temple was not afraid of the rebels and saved many people. Since then, it has been named a national temple.”
Hongdou said carefully,
“Now, decades have passed, and almost every state and city has a White Horse Temple.”
Even the Min’an Pavilion was inscribed by Great Master Jian Kong of the White Horse Temple.
Zhou Huaiyan intuitively grasped something,
“There’s something fishy here. Go check and investigate the White Horse Temple.”
“It’s already being done.”
These were good enough. Zhou Huaiyan closed the miscellaneous book in his hand and put it aside.
“Where’s Ah Fei?”
“In the Min’an Pavilion. I guess he should be back soon before dinner.”
Zhou Huaiyan rested the side of his face on one hand and played with the jade beads on his waist in boredom.
“Hongdou, why do you think he suddenly wants to study medicine?”
“Ah Fei has no talents. If he wants to stay with His Highness, he will naturally want to learn something useful for His Highness.”
The eldest maid knelt beside the young man and massaged the meridians of his calf. Zhou Huaiyan couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.
“There are many physicians around me, and he’s not talentless. Uncle said that Ah Fei has extremely good root bones and may be more suitable for learning martial arts.”
The eldest maid paused her movements and raised her head,
“Your Highness, do you want him to join the army?”
Zhou Huaiyan nodded slightly.
“I’ve had this idea.”
Had…..
That means it’s gone now. Hongdou’s eyebrows furrowed hesitantly,
“Does Your Highness want to send Ah Fei to the Yun family…”
The young man unhurriedly interrupted her,
“Did I ever say that I wanted Ah Fei to return to the Yun family? When Yun Moli, their legitimate daughter, died tragically in the North, have you ever thought that she didn’t want to go back?”
This era was extremely harsh on women’s chastity. Her death was probably caused by the Yun family in order to erase the stain.
And when the young Ah Fei entered the servant slave camp, it was probably the only way that Yun Moli could think of to protect her own child.
Hongdou suddenly realized his point. She frowned,
“If Ah Fei can’t have the Yun family’s income under his command for His Highness, then wouldn’t he be useless? Why would Your Highness keep him?”
Zhou Huaiyan casually took a sip of hot milk tea, the sweet aroma of milk and oolong tea spreading across his lips and tongue.
“Of course, it’s because…”
He couldn’t help but squint his eyes as if satisfied and murmur as if he were talking in his sleep.
“Dianxia likes him.”
There were no hows and whys. He was simply infatuated with those pale green eyes that were as beautiful as the finest emeralds.
The day he found out Ah Fei’s identity, Zhou Huaiyan decided that since there was no danger, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep the kitten by his side.
So at that time, the young man told Ah Fei that since he didn’t want to leave, he should just stay with him.
“What did Your Highness say?”
Zhou Huaiyan’s tone was so soft that even Hongdou, who was kneeling next to him, didn’t hear it clearly.
Not to mention——
Ah Fei, who was standing outside the door and listening to the whole process.
He was going to have dinner with his master today. He came back after reading the medical book early, but unexpectedly, he overheard the conversation between the young man and Hongdou.
As it turned out, his mother was actually the legitimate daughter of the Yun family, and she gave birth to such a filthy person like him after being bullied into disgrace by a foreigner.
So the master kept him by his side for the sake of the Yun family’s power. But now, he’s a useless chess piece and a good-for-nothing to his master.
The medical skills he worked hard to study were also useless, because the master said he had many imperial physicians.
What’s more, these days of getting along with each other made Ah Fei understand clearly that Zhou Huaiyan was not greedy for female beauties at all, let alone a person who was obsessed with lust. Therefore, the master has not the least bit of interest in his body.
Useless slaves will be thrown away.
This was an iron rule among the foreigners.
Ah Fei’s face turned deathly pale, and he couldn’t help but hug his arms, trembling with fear.
He has to… make himself useful to his master…
Useful…
“——You want to practice martial arts?”
During dinner, Zhou Huaiyan heard the kitten’s cautious request.
“Aren’t you following Physician Li’s medical practices? Why do you suddenly want to practice martial arts?”
“Because… because Ah Fei wants to protect his master when he encounters danger.”
Since it was acknowledged that he is now a book servant, Zhou Huaiyan has not allowed him to call himself a slave.
Ah Fei lowered his head, almost burying his face in the bowl. He obviously meant what he said, but when he said it, he wanted to cry.
Zhou Huaiyan didn’t notice the change in the kitten’s mood. He just felt that practicing martial arts was very difficult. Moreover, his uncle said personally that Ah Fei had good root bones and was someone who could stay by his side. Once he practiced martial arts, he would have to undergo the most rigorous training. Even treating him as a death warrior would not be impossible.
Zhou Huaiyan thought that since Ah Fei was just a book servant staying by his side, there was no need to work so hard.
“Hongdou is very good at martial arts, and I have many guards when I travel. There’s no need for you to go…”
——No need
The master personally said that he was not needed…
Patter.
The crystal-clear teardrops fell on the table, splashing all over. The kitten knelt on the ground and clutched the lower hem of his clothes, crying and trembling silently.
“Ah Fei?”
Zhou Huaiyan was stunned. He stretched out his hand and felt a wet, warm patch on his palm.
“Master… I beg of you.”
His soft voice bore a sobbing tone.
Ah Fei followed the young man’s hand and raised his face, his pale green eyes filled with glistening teardrops, like the moment before a jadeite was about to break.
So beautiful, ah…
The young man looked at him in a trance.
Being gazed at like this, Zhou Huaiyan felt a strange burning sensation.
“Why are you crying?”
He caressed the outer corner of Ah Fei’s bright red and wet eyes. He sighed softly,
“Dianxia allows you to do so.”
The author has something to say:
Ah Fei’s rate of progress in becoming stronger is 2%
Reaching 100% will unlock the imprisoned master plot
Thanks for the chapter!!!🥰 I can’t wait for the 💯%😆🤭