Huo Qiyuan finished speaking about the events in Chehe City, and both Xu Fu and Madam Zhou’s faces turned grim. They knew very well that slaughtering a city was an act so heinous and a cardinal sin that Zhao Chenggong, a mere city general, would never dare to act on his own accord. Therefore, the only possibility was that it was ordered by Emperor Rui, that foolish monarch.
Xu Fu closed his eyes, blinking away the tears that welled up. Years ago, the old Prince had, in obedience to the late Emperor’s dying wish, wholeheartedly supported Emperor Rui’s ascension to the throne. The outcome was a family ruined and scattered, not to mention the suffering of so many innocent civilians. If the old Prince knew from the underworld, he probably couldn't rest in peace either! The more Xu Fu thought about it, the angrier he became, and his emotions grew more turbulent when he thought of Huo Sizhun.
Huo Qiyuan patted Xu Fu's shoulder, then revealed his plan. "Huo Qixiao is already under my control. I plan to have Mu Qing accompany me to Chehe City. There are many things I need to personally question to get clear answers. Uncle Xu, why don't you drive Madam Zhou back to Yaojing first!"
"No! Your Highness, *cough cough cough*… This old servant implores you, take this old servant along! Years ago, we were weak and dared not avenge the old Prince, but now it is different. This old servant must follow you back to the capital of the Great Yu Dynasty. I must witness firsthand the tragic end of that dog emperor! *Cough cough cough*… Otherwise, the remaining days of this old servant will not be peaceful! *Cough cough cough!* I will have no face to meet the old Prince…"
Tears streamed down Xu Fu’s aged face. He grabbed Huo Qiyuan’s hand excitedly, pleading and coughing incessantly. In truth, he had mentioned wanting to accompany the army when they set out for the campaign. However, being over seventy, Huo Qiyuan worried about his health and had not agreed. But now, whether he agreed or not was irrelevant. Seeing Huo Qiyuan’s expression soften, Xu Fu was about to kneel and kowtow, but Huo Qiyuan quickly caught him.
"Uncle Xu, please don't do this! I agree then."
"Good, good, good!" Huo Qiyuan finally relented, much to Xu Fu's delight. But then he soon felt something was amiss. "You were just talking about Huo Qixiao? Are you referring to the eldest young master? How did you manage to capture him?"
Huo Qiyuan and Su Muqing exchanged a glance. The situation had progressed to this point, and there was nothing left to hide. He then explained his deductions: how Huo Qixiao colluded with Emperor Rui to frame the Jingbian Wangfu (Prince of Pacification Mansion), how he conspired with Xu Zhipeng to poison himself while he was still on the battlefield.
When Huo Qiyuan discovered Huo Qixiao's involvement, he had not revealed it to Xu Fu and Madam Zhou. He was particularly concerned that Xu Fu, upon learning the truth, would be overwhelmed with anger. After all, Madam Zhou had joined the Huo family only after Leng Muran married into it, and she wasn't particularly close to Huo Qixiao. But Xu Fu was different. He had followed Huo Sizhun since his youth, for forty-seven years until the downfall of the mansion. When Huo Qixiao was young, Xu Fu truly cared for him; he even taught him martial arts for a few days when Huo Sizhun was busy with official duties, took him horseback riding and archery, and brought him hunting for experience.
A few years later, when Huo Sizhun got married and had his own child the following year, Xu Fu’s attention towards Huo Qixiao gradually decreased. However, even then, he still brought back two gifts whenever he returned from outside. It was just that as Huo Qixiao grew older, his behavior became increasingly arrogant. He spent his days indulging in frivolous pursuits with dissolute young men, frequenting places of pleasure. He was neither learned nor skilled in martial arts, and despite repeated attempts to guide him, he remained unrepentant, which led to their estrangement.
As expected! After listening to Huo Qiyuan’s words, Xu Fu remained silent for a long time. He was so enraged that he didn’t know what to say, his lips trembling uncontrollably. How could this be? The eldest young master, Huo Qixiao, was actually an accomplice in the ruin of the old Prince’s family, and he had poisoned the Prince, causing him to suffer so much! For so many years, neither the old Prince nor the Jingbian Wangfu had treated him unfairly! How could Huo Qixiao do such a thing, to betray his roots and be so ungrateful!
Xu Fu still remembered that time when Huo Sizhun, severely injured, had saved the late Emperor’s life, earning him a great reward. At that time, the old Prince was merely a third-rank general, and everyone in the Huo family, apart from him, were ordinary citizens. Huo Sizhun, fearing that his injuries were too severe to survive, did not ask for gold, silver, or higher official titles for himself with this excellent opportunity. Instead, he gave this immense reward to the Huo family, allowing them to become a rising aristocratic family in the capital with official patronage. Even if he couldn't survive this ordeal or if he tragically died in battle in the future, his family could at least live a stable life under his patronage. It was precisely because of Huo Sizhun's arrangements that Huo Qixiao was later able to live a life of luxury and indulgence, free from the worries of food and clothing.
But… a nephew killed his own uncle! An uncle who doted on him and sacrificed so much for him! The human heart! Truly the most unfathomable thing in this world… The more Xu Fu thought about it, the angrier he became. He lost consciousness from the sheer rage, fainting on the spot. As Madam Zhou reached out to support him, Su Muqing quickly administered an acupoint to induce sleep from behind.
Taking them into the space again, Su Muqing carefully examined Xu Fu. Fortunately, it was just anger causing a temporary upset, with slightly elevated blood pressure. Su Muqing administered an IV drip to help him rest and lower his blood pressure.
"Brother Huo, why don't you stay and watch them in the space! Let the eagle carry me back." After adjusting Xu Fu's IV drip, Su Muqing also put the car, the half-roasted meat, and the several rabbits, tied together and unable to break free, into the space.
"I don't mind the heat. Why don't I go outside instead? You stay in the space… or I can go out and accompany you. The sun is so strong, it will bake you in a moment…" Huo Qiyuan actually didn't want Su Muqing to be exposed to such heat. She was a young girl and so beautiful, with skin as fair as jade. Prolonged exposure to the sun could easily cause her skin to peel. However, he didn't have a space, so he couldn't simply put her inside and go.
Su Muqing squeezed Huo Qiyuan's hand, then pulled out a large pile of sunscreen equipment and waved it in front of him. "No need. You all stay in the space! It's so hot, carrying two people would be difficult for the eagle. I'm lighter. And I have so many tools, you don't need to worry about me getting sunburnt, I can protect myself!"
Huo Qiyuan considered Su Muqing’s words and found them reasonable. With the sun so intense, it would indeed be difficult for the eagle to fly with an extra person. "Alright! Then I'll cook for you in the space. Stop somewhere after flying for a while and come in to eat."