Famine and exile: I brought the Spirit Spring to save the entire Marquis's mansion.

Unexpectedly, Huo Zhennan even rejected his own son.

Later, the old lady draped a cloak over him and carried him onto the carriage herself.

Because he had been living in a bear skin for so long, he had forgotten how to walk properly.

Back at the Marquis's residence, the old lady sent everyone away and tidied up the room by herself.

Li Yuzhi has already sent someone to inform her two brothers who are outside.

She thought that her fourth brother had burned paper money for their father before he left, which showed that he still had regrets. She wished she had found their father a few days earlier.

Father is back, but Fourth Brother and Fourth Sister-in-law are gone, and the Huo family can never be at peace.

Thinking of the place on the east mountain where she left the letter, she wondered if her fourth brother would ever come out of the mountain again, but she still wanted to send him a letter to let him know.

Lu Shishen stayed at the mansion to take care of Feng Dali, so there was no need to invite other doctors over.

The family prepared all the clothes, food, and other necessities and waited outside.

A short while later, the guard who had gone out to look for the person returned to report.

"The eldest son was assassinated at Fuxiang Teahouse. King Wenzhao, Wei Su, led a group of men to surround the teahouse. My subordinate saw Princess Xiangning's maid crying and saying that Princess Xiangning was injured by the assassin while trying to save the eldest son."

It's that same old thing again!

Li Yuzhi's temper flared up instantly.

This kind of thing has happened before; countless women have tried their best to get involved with Huo Qingchuan.

However, Huo Qingchuan avoided marriage as much as possible. Later, his father-in-law declared in the capital that every son of the Huo family could only marry one woman in his lifetime.

Even if the first wife is gone, the next wife will not be the legal wife, but only a concubine!

This was to prevent any unscrupulous individuals from entering the Huo family.

Because of the Huo family's high status, those from humble backgrounds dared not even dream of such a thing, and those of high status would not lower themselves to become concubines.

So things are still stable.

Now some people can see that Huo Qingchuan is not the same as before.

With Huo Chang'an gone, he is the most suitable person in the Huo family to become emperor!

How could an emperor have only one wife?

How could the emperor's concubines be treated the same as ordinary people's?

Those are all mistresses and ladies!

The first to act now may even snatch the title of Imperial Concubine!

But Li Yuzhi is no longer the virtuous and tolerant Li Yuzhi of the past.

Anyone who dares to covet Huo Qingchuan, don't blame her for showing no mercy!

"Take a thousand men and let's go!"

"I'll go with my sister-in-law!" Xie Yuru sneered.

Today's situation with the eldest brother will be tomorrow's situation with the third brother. Let's see if she doesn't stay with her sister-in-law. Let the scheming women in the capital realize their place!

Xie Yurou acted as if she was about to start a fight, which startled Huo Qiuye. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought that he was the one who caused the trouble.

Of course, he went along too.

Fuxiang Teahouse.

Huo Qingchuan was only there to observe the execution, yet someone managed to take advantage of him. Looking at the pitiful woman before him, pouring out her heart, he felt a wave of nausea.

Yes, it's disgusting.

Huo Qingchuan is no longer the Huo Qingchuan he used to be.

In the past, he respected and observed propriety towards women. Even when he was schemed against, he would never go to extremes because he believed that women had a difficult life and that their reputation was more important than their lives.

But now, apart from the people around him, he truly feels disgust and loathing for any other women who come to him!

"Princess Xiangning, I'll ask you one more time, do you truly love this Prime Minister?"

Wei Xiangning raised her tear-streaked face and looked at Huo Qingchuan with a somewhat infatuated gaze.

Huo Qingchuan is more handsome and colder than before, but also more captivating.

"Yes, Xiangning loves you. Since you left the capital, she has been crying every day, feeling that there is no joy in this life. She has been living in a daze until today. It was only when she saw you that she truly came back to life."

"Your Excellency, please let me stay by your side as a servant. If this continues, Xiangning will truly not survive..."

Wei Su chimed in, "Yes! Chief Minister Huo, I only have this one daughter, and among all the noble ladies in the capital, she is one of the most outstanding. If it weren't for her feelings for you, she would have been married off long ago. My wife and I are also very distressed every day."

"For the sake of her taking a knife for you, please grant her wish. From now on, the Wenzhao Prince's Mansion will serve you faithfully and do everything in its power to ensure the peace and stability of Dongyang."

Behind the Wenzhao Prince's Mansion lies the Wei family, the second largest aristocratic family.

At this time, the Hua family had fallen from grace, and the Wei family had become the leader of the three great families.

They were in charge of the salt mines and tea business.

Unless Huo Qingchuan wants to cause further chaos in Dongyang, he wouldn't dare to touch the two great families!

Wei Su had already adopted the lowest possible stance, and he figured that if Huo Qingchuan was wise, he wouldn't refuse.

Huo Qingchuan smiled.

Like a snow lotus blooming atop a snow-capped mountain, pure, aloof, and sacred.

The men and women in the teahouse were all stunned by what they saw.

Some students have already begun to compose poems in their hearts.

Princess Xiangning's mind was already filled with fantasies.

From now on, she will be with a man like this.

Under the flowers and the moon, drawing eyebrows and applying makeup...

"Then don't blame this prime minister." Huo Qingchuan lowered his eyes.

Wei Su was unaware that the fate of the four great families was about to come to an end.

How can the lifeline of a country be controlled by them?

He had long since seen the passive demeanor of the late emperor when discussing the allocation of funds among the four major families.

At that time, the late emperor had no military strength, nor did he possess the strategic vision to proceed gradually.

So they coaxed and pampered them.

Did this make Wei Su think that the country couldn't do without them?

It's laughable. The Huo family built their empire through fighting. There are plenty of people in the world, and merchants everywhere. It's like there are too many wolves and not enough meat to go around dividing up a family's territory!

They intended to wait a while before eliminating the enemy, but the Wei family couldn't wait to jump out.

Then let's go with the flow.

“Princess Xiangning, do I, the Prime Minister, need your help? If you hadn’t jumped out and presumptuously blocked my way, the assassin wouldn’t have escaped. Now I suspect that the assassin might be connected to the Wenzhao Prince’s Mansion.”

what?

Wei Su's eyes darkened: "Chief Minister Huo, what do you mean by this? My daughter almost lost her life to save you!"

"Your Excellency..." Princess Xiangning held her bloodied arm, as if in disbelief.

She even knelt down.

"My lord, I swear, the assassin has nothing to do with us."

The waiters at the teahouse also started speaking up for Xiang Ning.

All the guests in the teahouse could hear clearly that Princess Xiangning happened to be passing by the teahouse, heard the fighting inside, kicked open the door, saw Huo Qingchuan being attacked, and stepped in to stop him without thinking.

It might be unnecessary, but their eagerness to save lives is genuine!

This teahouse is owned by the Wei family, and it's naturally full of Wei Su's people, which has drawn one-sided public opinion.

Huo Qingchuan laughed again.

Do the Huo family still care about this false reputation?

Since these people have no shame, then let's not give them any face.

"Oh, even so, Princess Xiangning has delayed this chief minister from capturing the assassin. Even if you blocked the sword, it cannot cover up the fact that you made a mistake."

You have made a grave mistake, yet you still consider yourself a benefactor and dare to try to serve me, the Grand Secretary. How could Prince Wei have said that his daughter was one of the most outstanding noble ladies in the capital?

Filial piety, brotherly love, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame!

How many of these things did Princess Bade Xiangning accomplish?

No one would think that being born into a prestigious family, wearing fine silks and satins, being able to compose poetry and flaunt one's refined tastes makes one a noblewoman, would they?

Stop insulting the term "noble lady".

When you have time, go home and read about the Five Constant Virtues, Five Morals, and Five Etiquette. Cultivate your moral character diligently; perhaps then you'll be able to get married!

Huo Qingchuan's unprecedentedly sharp tongue astonished everyone.

However, he had always enjoyed high prestige among scholars, and the scholars present all echoed his sentiments.

Noble ladies from prestigious families cultivate virtue, not just rely on their looks and family background!

Xiang Ning's face was deathly pale.

Wei Su felt a lump in his throat from anger.

"Chief Minister Huo, how could you utterly disgrace my Wenzhao Prince's Mansion!"

"Prince Wei, let me give you a piece of advice: Why not look at yourself in the water?"