Jiang Xingyan ignored Xiao Mingxu’s face, which was flushing red and then turning pale. She just kept chattering on, “Ah, everyone thinks the General’s Manor is so glorious, but in reality, there are plenty of troubles. Since Your Highness brought up my cousin, and since I find everyone here agreeable today, I might as well get this off my chest.”
Mr. Wu sensed something was wrong and wanted to stop her, but it was already too late.
“My cousin, she is the daughter of a distant cousin from my mother’s maternal family. Your Highness might have heard of it—she is a descendant of the once-prominent Li Family.”
Xiao Mingxu was completely stunned.
The Li Family? Which Li Family?
It couldn’t be that Li Family, could it? The one whose achievements overshadowed the sovereign, who held the highest positions, acted arrogantly and domineeringly, fell out of favor with the late Emperor, eventually attempted rebellion, was executed to the last member, and even had their deceased patriarch exhumed and his corpse whipped?
Wasn’t this blatantly the daughter of a convicted official?!
Wait, he remembered now!
Huo Ci’s grandfather was close with the Li Family. When they campaigned together in their youth, they arranged a marriage alliance for their unborn children. Later, when the Li Family fell, everyone avoided them like the plague. Only Old General Huo defied public opinion, honoring his father’s promise and overcoming all obstacles to marry the legitimate daughter of the old Master Li.
A married daughter wasn’t listed in the clan register, which spared her from execution. It preserved a shred of the Li Family’s bloodline.
Xiao Mingxu’s long-unused brain started spinning rapidly.
He finally pieced together the relationships: Huo Ci’s father was Old General Huo, who married the legitimate daughter of the Li Family. Therefore, Huo Ci’s mother was the daughter of a convicted official. Her maternal distant cousin was also a relative, the son of a convicted official.
That man’s daughter, Huo Ci’s cousin, was unmistakably the granddaughter of a convicted official!
Boom!
Xiao Mingxu’s mind exploded.
If a royal prince, no less, were to marry the daughter—or even take as a concubine—the granddaughter of a convicted official, wouldn’t that be tantamount to opposing the late Emperor?
What hope would he have left for the succession struggle then?
He stared dumbfoundedly at Mr. Wu: Save me, Master!
For the first time since becoming Xiao Mingxu’s advisor, Mr. Wu openly rolled his eyes at him.
Now you come begging for help? Where was this sense earlier?
He hadn’t said anything about the prince’s usual hauntings of pleasure quarters. But now, for a single night’s indulgence, he had gotten himself into a stinking mess!
And above all, the man across from them was Huo Ci! The prodigy general who led troops at fifteen, annihilated all notable commanders of Beiluo, recaptured Xizhou’s lost territories, and avenged his father. His methods were decisive, ruthless, and left people aghast.
Now, of all times, when they needed his support—if this blew up into a conflict, how could the Emperor not side with him?
Moreover, in this matter, they were fundamentally in the wrong. Even if Li Yishu had deliberately seduced him, if a grand prince lacked even that much self-restraint, how could he be fit for great responsibility?
Jiang Xingyan coldly watched the dumbstruck Xiao Mingxu.
She did despise Li Yishu, that was true. But she hated fickle, irresponsible men even more.
Since he couldn’t control his baser instincts, he should pay a price involving flesh and blood. For Xiao Mingxu, what could be a better revenge than damaging his moral standing in front of the Emperor?
By then, even if Li Yishu achieved her wish and married into the royal family, the storm of consequences awaiting her was something Jiang Xingyan didn’t dare imagine.
She struck while the iron was hot, continuing her lament. “My mother pitied her for being young and having recently lost her father. Not wanting her to suffer, she took her in and raised her like her own daughter, even planning to find her a good match. Not necessarily a high-ranking family, but at least a well-off one, where she could live comfortably as the proper mistress of a household. She’s been urging me to look into it. But with my busy schedule, where would I find the time?”
Jiang Xingyan sighed softly and took a sip of wine amidst Fan Qing’s snores.
Everyone was taken aback.
Even a noble gentleman like Huo Ci could be weighed down by the mundane trivialities of daily life.
Liu Suwu observed the reactions of the two men. His mind whirled, his intuition telling him something was definitely amiss. He immediately laughed and chimed in smoothly, “Could it be that General Huo’s standards are too high? Perhaps broaden the conditions a bit. Wouldn’t being a principal wife or an honored concubine in a prominent family be better than being the mistress of an ordinary household? Life would be more luxurious, and she’d gain more worldly experience. If she wins the master’s favor, her days would be as sweet as honey, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
Xiao Mingxu immediately pricked up his ears, closely watching for subtle changes in “Huo Ci’s” expression.
He saw that “he” didn’t seem averse and even appeared to ponder it seriously.
“Minister Liu’s point isn’t without merit,” Jiang Xingyan said. “It’s just a pity about my cousin’s status… Ah! What prominent family would be willing to marry her?”
Since Huo Ci had opened this door, no matter how reluctant, Mr. Wu could only signal with his eyes for Xiao Mingxu to seize this excellent opportunity and proactively make an offer to permanently resolve this issue.
Xiao Mingxu gave a dry laugh. The words, once out of his mouth, took a turn: “General Huo, I actually have a suitable candidate in mind. Tan Youzhi, the Vice Minister of Revenue, has only one wife and considerable family wealth. If you agree, General, I will have him come propose tomorrow!”
He lowered his voice and added, “His wife has been bedridden for a long time and likely won’t last much longer. Wouldn’t your cousin become the mistress soon after marrying over?”
— One nurtures a person for a thousand days to use them for a single moment. Tan Youzhi had been secretly promoted by him. Asking him to marry a concubine and keep her at home for his own use wasn’t too much to ask, was it?