Chapter 362: You Shouldn’t Have Saved Long San
This is a four-entry courtyard.
The front courtyard is where the stewards of the manor live. The backyard was where the owner of the manor lived when he occasionally stayed for a short time.
Huo Xiu is familiar with this place because it is precisely his Huo family’s property.
Here, was the originally planned pick up point for Long San after he left the city.
The main courtyard was lit up at the moment, and lanterns for the festive season were also hung on all sides. The full moon shines on the old osmanthus tree at the corner of the courtyard, and the stamens that fall with the wind are like flying snow. The fragrance of the osmanthus flowers accompanied by the scent of wine poured into the nostrils, and everything was perfect for the occasion, but the only thing missing was the sound of laughter that should come with the festivities.
“Qinglian is here, sit.”
A silhouette walked out of the compartment, the man was dressed in a moonlight white silk shirt, his ink hair was tied at the top of his head. In his negative hand, he held a bone fan, as if there shouldn’t be a fan in this season right now, and the person in front of him shouldn’t be here. But he was permeated with incomparable ease, as if this was originally his home and he was entertaining his guests.
“Your Majesty ……”
Huo Xiu stood still.
The emperor sits down, looks at him in front of him, and says again, “Sit. Already had people set up a banquet, this reunion festival, let’s brother and sister sit down and drink a couple cups.”
As his words fell, someone outside the door carried over two large food baskets, and Zhao Su, who was leading the way, arrived in front of them, glanced at Huo Xiu, and then personally placed the seven or eight hot and cold dishes in the food baskets one by one on the round table in front of them. Finally, there was a pot of wine and two wine glasses.
“The wine is the palace’s Green Jade Brew, I remember you like to drink it.”
Huo Xiu raises his head, the emperor in front of him is calm and at ease, as usual any time he sits in the Qianqing Palace and declares him to gossip.
Tonight he even restored the self-proclaimed before ascending the throne, that time, they do not have any status barrier between each other.
Huo Xiu lifted his robe and slowly sat down.
The two of them across the table full of delicacies, overhead there is a bright moon and flowers, this situation, in the ordinary, should be beautiful people also.
Zhao Su with people out, the courtyard door and cover up. The emperor held a pot to pour wine for him: “Since you came out of the capital, this is the first time we have such a meal. Don’t be formal, this is your Huo family’s residence, when I was a child, I also accompanied the imperial aunt here, I didn’t treat myself as an outsider, you don’t want to either.”
Poured wine was handed in front, Huo Xiu looked at the reflection in the cup, looked up and said: “Your Majesty still remember the things of childhood?”
“How can I not remember? The late emperor and the empress dowager often instructed us, saying that in private, the imperial aunt is our closest relative, and in public, the most loyal minister of Da Liang, and the one thing in this world that we can trust most is the Huo family, and that is you. I have never forgotten anything about you.”
Huo Xiu clutches the wine and looks at the empty court, “Your Majesty, if my mother knows, she should be happy.”
“In addition to make imperial aunt pleased, you are not also should have a heart?” The emperor took a sip of the wine and raised his chopsticks, “Deciding to let you go as a border general and allowing you to bring your people to the barracks, I thought that this already showed my sincerity, and the court’s sincerity.”
Huo Xiu loosened the wine, lifted his eyes to look at the past: “The emperor treats the Huo family’s favor, Huo Xiu has no teeth to forget. He has been guarding Guangxi for three years, and has not dared to make any mistakes.”
The emperor chewed and ate slowly: “How do you do your job, I have a number. But there are some things that I don’t know in my heart.”
Huo Xiu holding the wine glass, a long time said: “Please Emperor Ming Ming.”
The emperor stopped his toothy chopsticks, “Why is there a Long San?”
“Please forgive me for not being able to understand this.”
“Come on.”
The Emperor’s chopsticks fell, the door to the courtyard opened, Zhao Sum led the guards, escorted in a man, and beside him was a woman holding a scroll.
Long San, who had broken his arm, was escorted to the ground in front of him in a state of shock. Before landing on the ground, he looked at Huo Xiu with his eyes wide open.
An osmanthus flower fell into the wine glass in Huo Xiu’s palm, shattering a mirror.
“This is in the city posted a number of days of the portrait of the dragon three, is Ah Yu’s master Yun girl saw with their own eyes, and the hand painted, I have seen, the difference is not self, in addition to this recently broken arm.”
The emperor reaches out and takes the scroll that Yun Qian Yi hands over, opening it up and presenting it in front of Huo Xiu. “Such a sharp sword technique, from your hand, right? Just why is the arm broken, not disfigured? If you want to protect him, directly destroyed his face, is not safer?”
“I have nothing to do with this man, so I don’t know why you’re dragging me into this. I don’t even recognize who he is!” Long San followed the emperor’s words and said sharply. “A good man does a good man when, my dragon three both unlucky in your hands, you want to kill then kill, want to cut then cut, say so much nonsense to do!”
The emperor swept him a glance, Zhao Sumi then waved his hand to let the guards to block his mouth.
“I’ve always admired people with guts, but he’s just a bit noisy.” The emperor looked at Huo Xiu again, his tone ghostly soft as if he was spitting on the wind and moon, “You haven’t answered me yet.”
The wine in his hand was clearly cool, but at the moment it was gradually burning his hand a bit.
Huo Xiu looked at the increasingly broken mirror, his hands unconsciously made strength, trying to restrain something.
He knows that things have come to this point, Long San, it is impossible for him to keep it. The most favorable approach is to deny his relationship with him. Since Long San took the initiative to clear up, then certainly will not betray him, he can also get away from this.
But Long San died for his mother. He may be sorry for the Cheng family, sorry for the Tang family, sorry for the emperor and the court, but he can afford the Huo family, his mother and his Huo Xiu.
If he gave up Long San, then how is he any different from a thin-skinned and unsympathetic person?
“I know you’re making a choice.” The emperor clipped chopsticks of fish to him, “It’s definitely not that easy to make a decision to give up a subordinate who is so loyal. However, you also know that I’ve always been unwilling to beat around the bush, so I’m still letting you see someone.”
This time, the courtyard door opened and escorted in two people, and when he saw the face of one of them, the wine in Huo Xiu’s hand finally spilled a few drops.
“Marquis …….”
Yao Lin, who had a dry throat and voice, knelt on the ground, no longer able to speak a second sentence.
Together with Yao Lin is another one of his guards, the one who escorted Long San out of the city.
According to the original plan, as long as the carriage carrying Long San was sent out of the city, this guard would immediately retreat from the carriage. He had even arranged for someone to meet him.
Even though the arrangements were so well thought out, apparently, everything was still not in time.
Long San’s face went white.
Huo Xiu also gulped up his throat.
He lifted his wine glass, brought it to his mouth, and set it down again without opening his lips.
“How did you find out?”
This was of course asked of the emperor.
The emperor waved his hand. When Zhao Sum and Yun Qianyi brought all the people out again, he said, “Why don’t you tell me when I became suspicious of you.”
Huo Xiu held his breath in silence.
The emperor surveyed the courtyard and said in a slow voice, “I remember following my imperial aunt here twice when I was a child. You were present both times. We were like ordinary cousins here, playing, messing around, playing pranks, bullying. Everything was tacitly understood like we could befriend each other for the rest of our lives, and I never thought that one day I would need to second-guess you-you really shouldn’t have gone to save Long San.”