Jiang Suzhou suddenly tightened his grip on the letter.
It was no wonder … He had calculated the time from Ye City to here. Seeing that the time had been delayed, he suspected that something was amiss.
He had guessed that even if Emperor Zhaoyuan agreed, Huo Yuyan would not let the matter rest. But he had not expected … Huo Yuyan to be so afraid of Huo Wujiu.
According to history, Huo Yuyan's body had been damaged after the Battle of Xunyang, and he was not as good as before.
Ever since he became the Crown Prince, he had been raised in Ye City and did not dare to take half a step out. Even so, he had only lived past the age of thirty before he died. For him to leave Ye City and go to Lin 'an under such circumstances, it was clear how much he feared Huo Wujiu.
Jiang Suzhou held the letter and muttered to himself for a long time.
"Go back to General Lou and tell him that I understand," he said. "Tell him not to worry."
The scout hurriedly stood up and acknowledged.
Jiang Suzhou continued, "Meng Qianshan, go ask where General Huo has gone. Send someone to tell him to come back as soon as possible."
"Yes! This servant will do it right away! "Meng Qianshan hurriedly replied.
The two retreated, and the imperial study became much quieter.
Jiang Suzhou held the letter and fell into deep thought.
Huo Yuyan dared to come, which meant that he did not know that Huo Wujiu had evidence of him. Although Li Cheng had been killed by Huo Wujiu, the world now thought that Li Cheng was disloyal and wanted to get rid of Huo Wujiu.
It was also because of this that no one found it strange that Huo Wujiu and Emperor Zhaoyuan exchanged letters and that Northern Liang had sent so many officials to the south.
Currently, only Jiang Suzhou, Huo Wujiu, and Lou Yue knew the truth. And only Jiang Suzhou and Huo Wujiu knew that Huo Wujiu had the secret letter between Huo Yuyan and Pang Shao.
Although Huo Yuyan's arrival was out of Jiang Suizhou's expectations, Huo Yuyan was in a more passive position now that the enemy was out in the open and he was in the dark.
If it was handled properly, Huo Yuyan would be the one who took the initiative to give them something to use against him.
Jiang Suzhou rubbed the edge of the paper and fell into deep thought.
— —
In the summer, the great river that lay between Beiliang and Nanjing roared past. The trees on both sides of the river provided shade, creating a unique Jiangnan scenery.
Lou Yue stood by the river and took a deep breath.
As soon as the news of Huo Yuyan's arrival reached him, he immediately sent someone to deliver it to Jiang Suzhou.
He knew that the people of Jiang Suzhou in Lin 'an would definitely make all the necessary preparations. What he needed to do was to hide all his thoughts and safely welcome all the people sent from Ye City back.
His expression was cold, but Lou Wanjun, who was beside him, did not notice.
She was impatient to wait for him, so she rode her horse and strolled by the river. She folded the horsewhip and stuffed it back into her waist. Then, she raised her hand and broke a willow branch. She swung it lightly and urged the horse to stroll by the river.
Her swaying made Lou Yue's heart flutter.
"Behave yourself!" Lou Yue frowned at her disapprovingly.
Lou Wanjun did not take it to heart. He swung the willow branch with one hand and held the reins with the other as he turned his head around.
"Is standing there being obedient?" She retorted. "I can sit still. This horse is going to break down."
Lou Yue held back for a long time before warning her, "His Highness the Crown Prince of Beiliang will be coming in a while. Be careful and don't break the etiquette."
Lou Wanjun sneered and said, "What His Highness the Crown Prince? Decades ago, I was the one who protected him and played with him."
Lou Yue hurriedly reprimanded her, "You have no sense of propriety! No matter what happened in the past, he is now the Crown Prince and a member of the imperial family. You can't say such things! "
Lou Yue thought about the disagreements between Huo Yuyan and Huo Wujiu and decided not to tell Lou Wanjun. Firstly, Lou Wanjun was straightforward and could not hide his thoughts. Secondly, it would be safer if fewer people knew about this matter.
Moreover, in Lou Yue's heart, Lou Wanjun was just a girl. He did not have an official position and was not a man. It was fine if he did not know about this matter.
Lou Wanjun naturally did not know about his many thoughts and concerns.
She snorted, "Of course I won't say it in front of him. I'm not stupid."
As the two of them spoke, the shadows of boats could be seen in the distance on the river. The flags hanging on the boats belonged to Beiliang. The boat in the lead was a large two-story boat. It looked like the leader was riding on it.
Lou Yue's entire body tensed up and he hurriedly hid his expression.
"They're here," he said. "Be careful with your words."
Lou Wanjun looked at him strangely.
Although her father's expression was serious and solemn, it did not look like he was welcoming his family. Instead, it looked like he was preparing to deal with an enemy.
She retracted her gaze and looked at the river.
She saw the boat slowly approaching, parting the waves as it sailed across the slowly flowing river. The river was wide and the boat moved slowly. It should have traveled for half an hour before it stopped by the riverbank.
Lou Yue's troops were already lined up on the riverbank. They wore silver armor and red tassels, and their flags fluttered in the wind. Seeing that the ship had stopped, Lou Yue led the generals under his command forward to welcome it. The large ship lowered its steps, and the guards quickly lined up and disembarked from the ship.
Lou Yue stopped in front of the steps.
After the guards lined up on both sides, several eunuchs and palace maids slowly descended with ceremonial rods in their hands. Lou Yue prepared a smile on his face. Lou Wanjun next to him clicked his tongue in wonder.
"What a grand display!" she whispered.
Lou Yue quickly glared at her.
At this moment, a person slowly walked onto the steps.
The snow-white brocade boots were densely woven with golden python patterns. They sparkled under the sunlight, reflecting the unique luster of gold.
Looking at him, one could see an elegant young master wearing a snow-white robe and a jade-inlaid golden crown.
He was tall and slender, which made him seem frail. This kind of gold-woven white robe was not something an ordinary person could afford, but when he wore it, he looked elegant and noble. Coupled with the gold-painted fan in his hand, he was clearly a noble young master from the Imperial City.
As he walked down the steps, Lou Yue led the people behind him to kneel. Their armor clanked.
"This general Lou Yue respectfully welcomes Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Lou Yue said.
Behind him, cheers could be heard.
Everyone knelt. For a moment, their silver armor sparkled. It looked like a landslide or a tsunami. However, the young master was calm and composed. He slowly walked up and stopped in front of Lou Yue. He bowed and supported him by the arm.
"Uncle Lou, no need to be so polite," he said warmly.
Lou Yue stood up with the help of Huo Yuyan. He looked up and saw Huo Yuyan smiling at him gently and elegantly.
He was the same age as he was when he was young. He was gentle and liked to smile. He was handsome and delicate, especially his eyes, which were very gentle. When he was at Yang Pass, he was different from the wild monkeys raised there. Usually, he was accompanied by poetry and books, and he spoke at a leisurely pace.
However, Lou Yue also knew that this child had been scheming since he was young.
Huo Wujiu only liked to practice martial arts and did not like to study. He was always beaten by his father until he jumped up and down. When he was seven or eight years old, he was at his naughtiest and called him "Lou Yue" without respect.
However, Huo Yuyan was different. Not only was he well-versed in poetry and books, but he also restrained himself and was courteous. He never slacked in his martial arts. He did not have talent, so he used it all on hard work. During the dog days of summer, when Huo Wujiu brought a group of followers to the mountains to hunt and hide from the cold, he would practice the horse stance alone in the courtyard without shade until the middle of the night.
It was also because of this that he became proficient in both civil and martial arts ever since he led the army in the uprising. He was a well-known scholar in the army. If not for Huo Wujiu being in the limelight, who in the world would not know of Huo Yuyan's great reputation?
Thinking of this, Lou Yue sighed in his heart, and a happy smile appeared on his face.
"Etiquette cannot be ignored!" He laughed. "Your Highness must be tired from the long journey. You must be tired, right?"
Hearing this, Huo Yuyan smiled faintly and shook his head.
"My body has not been well these few years, but it's no harm," he said. "The lords in the south took care of me, so the journey was slower. It was not that tiring."
He was cultured and refined, and he was courteous to the wise. It was as if he had not changed at all.
If he did not know what Huo Yuyan had done behind the scenes, Lou Yue would never believe that the thoughtful but extremely diligent and courteous child back then would stab Huo Wujiu in the back.
"Then I am relieved!" Lou Yue said.
"Uncle Lou, you are treating me as an outsider. In front of you, Yuyan is not a prince. I am just your junior, "Huo Yuyan said warmly. "Uncle Lou does not look old at all. Seeing you now, it is as if you were still at Yangguan."
Lou Yue smiled and waved his hand. "It is not like what Your Highness said. More than ten years have passed. I am old! "
Huo Yuyan continued, "Before I left, Imperial Father even specially instructed me to make a trip." "This time, it was all thanks to Uncle Lou's help that Wujiu was able to successfully reclaim Jiangnan. Imperial Father said that I must personally thank Uncle Lou for your righteousness. "
As he spoke, he bowed and cupped his hands, and was about to salute Lou Yue.
Lou Yue hurriedly supported him.
"You can't do that! Your Highness, there is a difference between a ruler and a subject! "he said.
After supporting Huo Yuyan, Lou Yue felt how weak his body was. Originally, although this child looked handsome, his martial arts were comparable to any general in the army. However, when he supported him now, he clearly felt that he did not have much strength. He was as light as a feather, as if his bones were empty.
Even though he knew that this child was vicious, Lou Yue could not help but feel sour in his heart.
When Marquis Dingbei was alive, although he only had one son, Huo Wujiu, he doted on Huo Yuyan the most.
Lou Yue easily blocked Huo Yuyan's salute. Huo Yuyan did not argue with him and stood up straight with Lou Yue's help.
"Your Highness has had a hard journey. It is not convenient for you to stand here and talk," Lou Yue said. "A banquet has been prepared in the city. Your Highness, why don't you come with me for a meal? After resting for two days, we will set off for Lin 'an."
Huo Yuyan smiled faintly. His expression was gentle, and no one could tell what he was thinking. "That would be best. It is also thanks to Wujiu. If he had not arranged the entire Nanjing in an orderly manner, I would not have the good fortune to hide here. "
With his happy and gentle expression, who could tell that he had done something sinister behind his back?
Lou Yue lowered his eyes to hide his complicated gaze.
At this moment, he heard Huo Yuyan make a sound of surprise. He turned to his side and asked, "Sister Wanjun is also here?"
Lou Wanjun looked up and saw the slender and quiet young man standing in front of her. His eyes were as gentle as water.
"Little Sister Wanjun has actually grown into such a beauty," he said. "Between your eyebrows, you look a little like Madam Lou."
As he said this, he revealed a faint smile.
Lou Wanjun took a deep breath. His mouth became clumsy for a moment, and he did not know how to reply.
So beautiful. She thought to herself.
It was as if a magnolia flower had been blown by the wind and bloomed in her heart.
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