In truth, the Crown Prince had thought his father far too cunning. Last month, when he learned of Zhang Yao's intention to accuse Huo Bu Yi, he had originally planned to quietly suppress the matter. Moreover, he hadn’t initially intended to recall his foster son ahead of schedule—after all, there was no rush for a year or two, so why invite unnecessary criticism?
But then one day, upon waking, the Emperor suddenly heard that Cheng Shaoshang had become engaged to Yuan Shen. Slapping his thigh in frustration, he immediately thought of using Zhang Yao to summon his foster son back. Later, when Empress Dowager Xuan expressed a desire to see Huo Bu Yi, the frugal Emperor decided to save Zhang Yao for future use.
"I was truly caught off guard by the marriage between the Yuan and Cheng families," the Emperor sighed.
The Crown Prince responded emphatically, "Indeed! Those two families were far too hasty with their marriage!"—as if he hadn’t been overjoyed when he first heard that Lady Cheng had finally found a new son-in-law.
Shao Shang returned to the Palace of Eternal Peace with her head hanging low and recounted the matter to Empress Dowager Xuan. The Empress Dowager encouraged her to testify well and thoughtfully asked if she needed a few days off to calmly recollect the past.
Shao Shang was momentarily speechless. She turned and went to find Yuan Shen. After sitting silently together for a while, Yuan Shen said, "At this point, it’s unacceptable for you not to appear. But it depends on how you appear."
Shao Shang’s eyes lit up. Clutching his wide sleeve excitedly, she said, "That’s exactly what I thought! There shouldn’t be too many people present in the courtroom, and they shouldn’t be too gossipy!"—What was there to fear about testifying? The real concern was the public spectacle, the prying eyes. Yuan Shen’s dignity would be at stake, and she’d inevitably be labeled as someone unable to forget old flames.
Yuan Shen watched as the girl tugged lightly at his sleeve, her smile radiant. He chuckled and shot her a mock glare. "In my past life, I must have been a worm in your belly!"
"Impossible!" Shao Shang’s flattery skills had grown even sharper. "In our past lives, we were two worms in the same person’s belly—that’s why we always think alike."
Yuan Shen was delighted and burst into hearty laughter.
Afterward, Shao Shang took leave to return home and prepare her testimony, striving to be truthful without inviting undue speculation. Meanwhile, Yuan Shen visited the Court of Justice to meet with the old man Ji Zun. After a half-hour of eloquent persuasion, three days later, when Shao Shang entered the back hall of the Court of Justice, she couldn’t help but feel her fiancé was incredibly reliable!—though the Crown Prince was quite disappointed.
Ji Zun had cleared the surroundings of the back hall, leaving only two clerks and a few trusted aides inside. The plaintiffs were four timid village women, with Zhang Yao sitting imposingly in front of them as their supporter. The defendant was Huo Bu Yi alone. The three presiding officials sat in a mountain-shaped formation: from left to right, they were Tiger Guard General Chen Chi, the Crown Prince, and Court Justice Ji Zun.
By the time Shao Shang entered slowly, the plaintiffs had already finished their first round of weeping. One woman was still wailing, "...We watched helplessly as our fathers, brothers, and husbands were all slaughtered! If we hadn’t been lucky enough to hide under a pile of firewood, how could we have escaped? Lord Ji, please deliver justice for us! Execute this beast in human form and display his head as a warning!" The other three village women burst into loud sobs again.
Chen Chi shook his head, while Ji Zun slammed the table forcefully, ordering the women to quiet down.
Zhang Yao said smugly, "Enough of this. Summon Li Si and let him explain why he committed such atrocities, slaughtering innocent villagers!"
The Crown Prince said solemnly, "Due to the grave illness of the Grand Empress Dowager of Huai'an, Zisheng came in haste. Many military affairs have yet to be handed over, and Li Si and others are still in the northwest wrapping things up."Zhang Yao said, "Then asking Marquis Huo would be the same! This humble officer presumes to ask—uh..." He paused mid-sentence when he saw a beautiful young woman being escorted in by the attendants.
The Crown Prince, already dissatisfied with today's trial setting, remarked coldly, "Lady Cheng, you've finally arrived. I thought you'd wait until after the formal execution to show up!"
Shao Shang pretended not to hear; she hadn't been deliberately late—Yuan Shen had kept her engaged in idle chatter along the way, causing the delay.
Huo Bu Yi had been sitting quietly, his jade-like face composed, unmoved by the various accusations as if observing someone else's affairs. Only now did he react with surprise: "Shao... Why are you here?"
Shao Shang maintained a solemn expression. "I heard Your Lordship has been falsely accused. I’ve come specifically to testify and prove your innocence."
Huo Bu Yi looked utterly bewildered and immediately turned to the Crown Prince, who averted his gaze nonchalantly.
Ji Zun, uninterested in their silent exchanges, motioned for Shao Shang to take a seat before speaking methodically: "Zhang Yao, calm yourself. Though these village women speak with conviction, three days ago, Lady Cheng informed me that when the Gushan tragedy occurred, Marquis Huo was with her on Mount Tu Gao. What do you say to that?"
Zhang Yao was startled and eyed the girl suspiciously. "Aren’t you a Huo family woman—"
Before he could finish, Shao Shang cut him off sharply: "Has General Zhang grown dull from guarding tombs in the wilderness year after year? The Capital City changes swiftly—I am now betrothed to the Jiaodong Yuan Clan!"
Zhang Yao sneered. "Hmph! Mere hearsay. Who knows if Huo Bu Yi even went to Mount Tu Gao? Who knows if you two aren’t still—" He left the rest unsaid, but everyone in the hall understood his implication.
The Crown Prince suddenly found Zhang Yao slightly less detestable.
Shao Shang flushed red with anger. "The Hot Spring Villa has countless maids and eunuchs—are they all blind? Lord Ji can simply question them! Though the maids serve the Huo family, the steward eunuchs were sent from the palace by His Majesty to manage the villa! Besides, my third brother Cheng Shaogong was also there!"
Zhang Yao snorted.
Ji Zun asked, "When did Marquis Huo return to the Panqing Military Camp?"
"Lord Huo and I... spent three days together. He departed at dawn on the twenty-ninth of October, first escorting my siblings and me back to the Capital City before returning to camp alone." Shao Shang inexplicably hesitated mid-sentence.
Ji Zun nodded. "Panqing Camp is two days' journey from Gushan, and traveling from Panqing via the Capital to Mount Tu Gao takes a day and a half. Li Si and the others returned to camp on the thirtieth of October to report and tally merits. There’s no way Marquis Huo could have reached Gushan in time to kill innocents for credit. Village woman, how then did you describe Marquis Huo’s appearance...?"
"This... this..." The leading village woman shrank back, trembling in terror.
Zhang Yao stepped forward. "Did you stay at the Hot Spring Villa all three days? Huo Bu Yi left Panqing Camp six or seven days prior. If he departed early and bypassed the Capital, he could have gone straight to Gushan!"
Shao Shang hesitated, stammering, "...We only stayed at the villa for one day before going down the mountain to explore."
"I knew it!" Zhang Yao perked up. "Huo Bu Yi only needed to leave a day early. With his steed’s speed, he could have made it!"
Ji Zun said sternly, "Lady Cheng stated they went down the mountain to explore, not leave."
"With only the three of them present, how can this be trusted?"Chen Chi interjected, "My nephew studies with Cheng's third son and says he is very sincere."—though he does love tattling to the teacher. Still, he's amiable and gentle, easy to get along with.
Zhang Yao was skeptical.
"That..." Shao Shang stammered, embarrassed, "Third Brother didn't come down the mountain. It was just... just Lord Huo and me, along with a few guards and servants."
At these words, everyone turned to look at her and Huo Bu Yi, their gazes filled with shock, suspicion, worry, or barely concealed glee.
"But—but we met many people along the way! It's not just my word alone!" Shao Shang endured the scorching stares, the heat in her face flaring up again.
Zhang Yao smirked insincerely. "Oh, really? Then, Cheng Niangzi, why don't you tell us in detail what happened over the next two days?"
"Perhaps there's no need for too many details," Chen Chi, ever kind-hearted, couldn't bear to see the girl flustered. Over the years, the Tiger Guard had often enjoyed snacks, fruit drinks, and emergency herbs from the Palace of Eternal Peace. Once, a deputy commander under him, a fellow townsman, had gotten involved with a palace maid and nearly faced charges of defiling the palace—had it not been for Shao Shang's discreet intervention.
"General Chen, stay out of this!" The Crown Prince's expression was stern, his tone righteous. "Since things have come to this, there's no need to hide anything. Let's lay it all out clearly, so Zhang Yao has no grounds for complaint, and the rumors can be put to rest! Lady Cheng, recount everything that happened afterward in detail."
Huo Bu Yi gave the Crown Prince a thoughtful look, and the prince averted his gaze again.
Zhang Yao, emboldened, raised his voice. "Exactly! Let's hear it! The weather was turning cold—the Hot Spring Villa would've been most comfortable. Why did you insist on coming down the mountain? Explain that!"
Why come down?—Shao Shang and Huo Bu Yi exchanged a fleeting glance before looking away.
People often said that hot springs paired with chilled wine could tempt even immortals. Cheng Shao Gong, ever unreliable, had either been overcome by the heat or drunk—either way, he was carried off to his chambers unconscious and hadn't woken by the time Shao Shang and Huo Bu Yi descended the mountain.
From the moment they arrived at the Hot Spring Villa, Huo Bu Yi had been oddly clingy. At first, he complained that the water aggravated his old wounds and asked Shao Shang to massage them. Then he said his shoulders and neck ached from soaking and demanded gentle punches. Worse still, he claimed the steam made him short of breath and insisted she fan him.
And if Shao Shang protested that she, too, was breathless and weak—well, that was even better. Huo Bu Yi would gladly "personally" carry her out of the water.
Years had passed, and many details had blurred.
Shao Shang only remembered the misty steam, the tall, pale young man reclining on a lounge chair by the pool, watching her with a quiet smile, his amber eyes more intoxicating than fine wine. His thin silk sleeveless robe, dampened by the water, turned translucent, revealing his tall, powerfully built frame beneath—muscles defined and strong, yet marred by scars of varying sizes. She had traced them lightly, torn between shyness and heartache.
Huo Bu Yi glanced at the girl, remembering that moment far more vividly than she did.
He remembered how the warm steam had flushed her skin pink and fragrant, her dazed eyes shimmering with an effortless allure. He remembered the soft flesh beneath her chin, how she would whimper like a kitten when he teased it with his fingers...However, the girl was sharp-witted. Sensing the situation was amiss, she immediately realized they could no longer stay at the Hot Spring Villa and proposed going down the mountain for an outing the next day. He, too, noticed his own wandering thoughts and agreed with a smile.
Shao Shang's face burned with embarrassment and anger. "I'll go down the mountain if I want to! You only need to ask about the next two days. What does the reason for going down the mountain have to do with you?"
Zhang Yao was taken aback by her outburst, then snorted coldly. "Fine, go on then."
"We descended the mountain early in the morning and entered the town at the foot before sunset..."
Zhang Yao grinned broadly. "I've been to Tugao County too. It only takes half a day to go down the mountain and enter the town, yet you took a whole day? Hahaha, Cheng Niangzi, you could at least make up a better lie!"
Chen Chi sighed helplessly. "Zhang Yao, why do you care how they traveled? As long as they were in the town on the third day, that's all that matters."
The Crown Prince waved his arm grandly, exuding solemnity. "Lord Chen, don't interrupt. If there are doubts, they should be clarified one by one. Lady Cheng, continue."
Shao Shang suppressed the urge to scream and said stiffly, "I sprained my ankle. Lord Huo carried me down the mountain, so our group moved slowly with frequent stops."
"Didn’t you have a carriage? Why did he have to carry you?" Zhang Yao seized on every inconsistency.
Even old Ji Zun couldn’t take it anymore. "They were engaged at the time—what’s wrong with being affectionate? Zhang Yao, stop making unreasonable demands!"
The Crown Prince mused to himself: Cheng Shaoshang and Zhang Yao—one a woman, the other a petty man; one sharp-tongued, the other nitpicking—were perfectly matched in their bickering.
Shao Shang’s ears were practically on fire. She stubbornly avoided looking at Huo Bu Yi and declared solemnly, "On the way down, we encountered two groups of travelers. One was the family of Left Minister Wang, and the other was the family of City Gate Commandant Li. Lord Ji can verify this."
Ji Zun nodded and turned to Zhang Yao. "Did you hear that?"
Zhang Yao huffed and turned away.
"After entering the town, we learned there would be a lantern festival the next day, so we decided to stay," Shao Shang took a deep breath. "We settled in an inn that night. The following day, we toured the town during the day and attended the lantern festival at night. On the third morning, we set off back to the Capital City."
"That’s it?" Zhang Yao squinted skeptically.
"That’s it!" Shao Shang said firmly. "If General Zhang doesn’t believe me, I have witnesses. That night at the lantern festival, we ran into a shameless lecher at a tavern who spoke disrespectfully. I taught him a harsh lesson. He was a wealthy man from a neighboring county, and many people in the tavern that night recognized him. Lord Ji, I’ll write down his name, background, and the names of several local gentry who were present for you to verify."
Ji Zun smiled approvingly at the girl’s respect for legal procedure.
Zhang Yao still hesitated. "With Marquis Huo by your side, what lecher would dare disrespect you?"
Shao Shang glared at him. "Can’t a lecher have guts?!"
Huo Bu Yi chuckled softly. Shao Shang, displeased, rolled her eyes at him—Of course he had guts, because the lecher hadn’t harassed Cheng Shaoshang but Huo Bu Yi! That was why she had been especially furious and determined to thrash the man.
Huo Bu Yi lowered his thick lashes, pressing a hand lightly over his chest, feeling the strong, steady beat there. He felt as though years of ice were slowly melting away.They spent an entire day descending the mountain because halfway down, they came across a flower field resembling a pile of multicolored clouds. It was late autumn, when ordinary flowers would have long withered, yet Mount Tu Gao's warm climate kept the blooms vibrant even in winter's chill.
The girl sat amidst the dense blossoms and softly told him how her uncle and aunt had started their marriage as little more than strangers. But one day, when her uncle took his wife mountain climbing to admire the flowers and clumsily wove a floral crown for her, Madam Sang realized marrying this kind-hearted but inarticulate man was truly wonderful. Amidst the floral fragrance and warm sunlight, the girl's delicate face appeared ethereal and translucent among the flowers, exuding such pure charm that it left him dazzled and entranced.
She said her parents were deeply in love, as were her uncle and aunt. Having witnessed their tender affection, she yearned for the same with him someday—not like his parents, who became bitter adversaries.
He wanted to explain then that his parents weren't adversaries. They had fallen in love at first sight, overcome numerous obstacles to marry, and remained exceptionally devoted, raising children together. Through all the turmoil of war, they stood united—until Ling Yi's betrayal. Otherwise, they too would have grown old together like Cheng Shi and Cheng Zhi's couples, inseparable in life and death.
Having never made a floral crown before, his repeated attempts failed, with his best effort resembling nothing more than a sturdy horse halter. The girl laughed and said to forget it, but he refused. He secretly ordered attendants to gather more flowers and hide them in their carriage.
That night in town, he practiced relentlessly, using up all the flowers until he finally crafted an elegant crown. He waited until the next evening's lantern festival to place it upon her head amidst the dreamlike glow of colored lights.
He promised they'd be as devoted as her uncle and aunt.
Tears welled in the girl's clear, pained eyes. She said she'd grown up isolated, surrounded by malice, but now she had him—she'd never have to fear being alone again, right?
He said yes, they'd be together forever.
Huo Bu Yi looked up to see Shao Shang still arguing heatedly with Zhang Yao, her cheeks puffed in irritation.
Zhang Yao scoffed, "...Didn't you sprain your leg? How'd you go downstairs to beat that scoundrel?"
The Crown Prince suppressed a smile. "Zisheng must have carried her down to deliver the beating."
"Your Highness should mind your words," Ji Zun said sternly. "These irrelevant details need not be discussed."
Chen Chi quickly agreed, "Yes, yes..."
But Shao Shang wouldn't let it go, earnestly correcting them: "Not entirely! I walked down the last three or four steps myself—that makes a big difference!"
Huo Bu Yi could no longer contain himself. He burst into laughter, nearly to the point of tears.
The suffering had lasted too long, the estrangement too deep. Sometimes he questioned why he'd been born into this world—only to witness his father's murder, see his mother and siblings hanged from city walls, then spend over a decade under an assumed name, consumed by vengeance.
He'd nearly forgotten that after age five, he too had known joy, tenderness, and sweetness.
Now, he remembered it all.
Author's Note:
Don't worry, everyone—once I get into the rhythm, I'll update daily. Right now I'm still refining things.
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