Chapter 80: Secret Revealed
As long as Huojin remembers, he was always with the military men inside their compound. Every one treated him with respect but he felt detached somehow. For a long time Huojin was under the impression that AoTian was his brother but apparently he was not and as long as he lived in their Manor he was the favourite young master in their Manor.
Huojin was six when AoTian left the Manor and he thought from now on he’ll be pampered but Seiren was born that year and he became the next pampered young master and he was always the middle child no one cared about except his mother who always kept him close and would talk to him for hours. She would happily watch all the moves he learned from the men there and would make his favourite food for him each time he wins a training match. And so he became best in martial arts.
When he was twenty, he met Huang MingXue near the river in the outskirts of the city and he fell in love at first sight. She returned his feelings too and as she was only twelve that year, they decided to wait till she comes of age to express their wishes to get married to their families as an alliance between Huang and Zhong family is not unattainable since both families are of equal social standing. He’s been refusing all the marriage alliances that comes to him thinking of her all this time and she trusts him too.
Seiren started to leave their Manor more often in the past three years and his father started to give Huojin more responsibilities as the new Emperor was instated and he was put near the Emperor to guide him and protect him. The Emperor was impassive of him for a while but after sometime he warmed up to him and his father was happy about it too.
So Huojin would say his life was pretty good for the past couple of years until the frivolous bastard who had entered the city and captured everyone’s heart arrived. ’Lord Táng ’, he clenched his fists, what’s so good about her? She lied to the Emperor, got into the Huang Manor, got on the good side of his father, somehow seduced the cold and aloof Shengli all because she is good with her sword? His father even gave strict orders not to talk about her to anyone. What is so special about her?
She is a showoff who blabber all she wants and she even beat him in a match to boast about her skills and shame him in front of his peers. And in the last few days she stayed in his Manor even his mother didn’t have time for him and she was pampered like she was a Zhong daughter. How brazen of her!
Not only that, her cousin Huang Mingxia revealed his well kept secret of his intentions towards Huang MingXue known to his father in an abrupt way. That evening, MingXue was sad that her first uncle had forbidden her to meet her only friend WanRou and she was forced to stay home with her father. She also confided in him that her third uncle’s daughter was responsible for everything. So he stayed with her for a while and comforted her and she even gave him her scented handkerchief as gift but he was exposed by that Huang Mingxia who had the nose of a dog. Seems like Táng JiaXing and Huang Mingxia are birds of the same flock not considerate of others and manipulators who act well to gain the goodwill of others.
That night his father called him and lectured him about how MingXue is not suitable for the Zhong household and Huojin didn’t agree and that has caused friction in their father - son relationship. It must be that Táng person’s fault for saying false words about MingXue to his father for her cousin.
Huojin clenched his jaws and looked at Xing who was seriously explaining her points. How pretentious! Wait! Did she say a powerful Imperial Army? Isn’t she indirectly saying the Zhong army is a threat and the Emperor should have countermeasures?
Huojin looked at his father who was still looking at her with admirance. Father! Since when did you become this blind towards a person’s intent?
Huojin saw how she shamelessly talked about the Emperor taking concubines and his blood boiled when she said that her children won’t have any claim to the throne. Is this her true intention? To somehow end up in the royal family? She used Shengli’s aversion towards the throne as a means to get close to the highest powers that rule this nation? What is her end game? How did Shengli fall for such a vicious vixen who doesn’t even know who her father is? Even his brother warned him to not do anything against her when he complained about her to him! Just how could a single person charm this many people?
"How adorably flamboyant you are, Lord Táng! I should bow to you in reverence", Huojin stood in the centre and bowed in front of Xing.