The next day, Huo Yuyan did not find Jiang Suizhou in the Imperial Office. The eunuch on duty was Prince Jing's personal attendant.

When Huo Yuyan entered the Imperial Office, before he could speak, he saw the eunuch approaching with a servile smile, asking, "Your Highness, are you looking for our lord?"

He certainly knew how to boast.

Huo Yuyan’s face grew slightly colder, and he cast a frosty glance at the eunuch.

However, the eunuch clearly did not understand the signs. Seeing that Huo Yuyan’s expression did not seem hostile, he explained with a smile, "Our lord is unwell today and will not be coming. He sent this servant to greet Your Highness instead."

Huo Yuyan replied coldly, "I see. You may leave."

The eunuch sighed and withdrew. Huo Yuyan glanced at his retreating figure, a slightly skeptical look on his face. But soon, his doubts found an answer.

Once the eunuch had left, Huo Yuyan sat down on the imperial throne and realized that many documents were missing from the dragon’s desk. After quickly flipping through the papers, he discovered that all the files related to the official transfers he had handled in the past few days were gone.

He was certain that when things seemed unusual, there was always a reason behind it.

Huo Yuyan furrowed his brows and ordered the eunuch standing beside him, "I had a few unfinished documents yesterday, go ask why they are not here."

The eunuch nodded and hurried off to inquire. Shortly after, he returned in a rush and said, "Your Highness, people from outside are saying that General Huo came to the Imperial Office today to ask if you’ve been very busy lately. Apparently, he took all the documents, saying he would distribute them for you."

The files were already well finalized, but Huo Yuyan was always meticulous in his work, even when things seemed complete. He always double-checked everything. However, Huo Wujiu’s actions, while initially seeming helpful, ended up complicating matters.

Now, he couldn’t say anything. He could only grit his teeth and mutter in a low voice, "I see. Later, remind me to send someone to thank Wujiu."

The eunuch simply nodded. Seeing that Huo Yuyan appeared displeased and had nothing else to do sitting in the Imperial Office, the eunuch quickly approached and whispered, "However, it is said that Miss Lou did not go to the camp today."

Huo Yuyan paused and looked up, asking, "Where did she go?"

The eunuch replied, "It is said that Miss Lou enjoys walking around the city of Lin'an. Since there is nothing special today, Your Highness has been tired these past few days. Why not relax a bit? You just arrived, so why not let Miss Lou, who knows the city well, accompany you for a stroll?"

Huo Yuyan hesitated for a moment before offering a faint smile. "It’s not a problem." He continued softly, "But be cautious, don’t be too insistent, it wouldn’t be appropriate to disturb Miss Lou." The eunuch smiled ambiguously and nodded several times.

*

Lou Wanjun led a very active life.

It was mainly during the recent welcome banquet hosted by Huo Yuyan that she had met several new friends. They were all generals under Huo Wujiu’s command, with whom she had never had the chance to speak before. After sharing a drink, they had become acquaintances.

These individuals all had lively personalities. They had mentioned an exceptional sorghum liquor available in the Western Market. Not only was it sweet, but its fragrance was so strong that it could be smelled half a mile away. It became even more delicious and fragrant once in the mouth.

In recent days, due to the presence of many nobles in the city, Huo Wujiu often visited the military camps, which prompted the generals to remain at their posts and not wander about unnecessarily.

On the other hand, Lou Wanjun, having more freedom, was encouraged by these generals to go into the city to buy wine.

Lou Wanjun appreciated this task and agreed without hesitation.

However, the Western Market was vast, and these generals, unfamiliar with the area, had given vague directions. But Lou Wanjun was undeterred and walked through the market in search of the shop.

Before she could even find the store, she was drawn in by the sound of a commotion.

She saw several scholars in front of her, surrounding something and striking it.

With each blow, a crashing sound could be heard. Amidst the crowd, something rolled, and when Lou Wanjun looked closer, she saw a feather.

"Let me see what our distinguished scholar from Lin'an, Nie Cong, has written!" said one of the scholars sarcastically.

He then began reading the contents in a mocking tone:

"My dear wife, Guie, how are you doing in my absence? The crops at home should be ready to be harvested now. I am working in the city and cannot return. You must take care of them with my mother..."

A clear and sharp voice interrupted from the crowd.

"Brother Du, this is a private correspondence, it shouldn’t be made public," the voice said.

"What private correspondence? Didn’t you write all of this?" retorted the other with a shrill tone. "I know you’re poor, Nie, so poor that you come here to write letters for the ignorant to earn money. There’s no need for you to degrade yourself by writing such nonsense."

"This letter is for his wife, it’s not for you to judge," the clear voice replied. "I ask that you return this letter to me."

"Return it? If you can, come take it!" the other sneered. "Nie Cong, if you dare touch me here, you’ll be a street aggressor, and next year you won’t even be allowed to participate in the exams!"

Lou Wanjun’s brows furrowed more and more as she listened to the exchange.

What kind of person was this? Destroying a letter stand in public and then acting aggressively?

Lou Wanjun had never been able to tolerate this kind of behavior since she was a child. She rolled up her sleeves and prepared to push her way through the crowd.

At that moment, an old woman beside her stopped her.

"Don’t get involved, young lady!" The old woman was selling insoles and had calloused hands.

Lou Wanjun turned around and saw the old woman urging her quickly, "This Du is a young master from a large family, and he’s caused trouble here many times. No one dares to stop him."

Lou Wanjun frowned. "Why is he causing trouble?"

The old woman lowered her voice. "The young man writing the letters comes from a poor family, but he got the best results in the provincial exams. This Du is from the same year as him, and envy is eating him up."

Lou Wanjun let out a small, ironic laugh. "A great family? I’ll go pay him a visit."

The son of a great family—whoever it was, even if he were Huo Wujiu’s son—she would still beat him.

The old woman grabbed her sharply. "Young girl! That could cost you your life!"

Lou Wanjun patted the old woman's hand and said softly, "Don’t worry, I’m stronger than him."

She then turned, rolled up her sleeves, and made her way through the crowd.

The young Master Du was there with a few henchmen, causing trouble. The letter stand was in complete disarray, and the man named Du was holding a piece of paper, approaching the young man who had been writing the letters.

The young man stood tall and still like a pine tree, his hands pressed against his sides, veins bulging on the backs of his hands.

"If you want to fight, come here and fight this young master!" shouted the young Master Du.

Lou Wanjun quickly stepped forward and grabbed the collar of the so-called young Master Du.

"Alright, I’ll fight you," she said through gritted teeth, landing a punch right on the face he had earlier shoved forward.

Immediately, he collapsed, and the surrounding crowd let out cries of surprise.

But Lou Wanjun paid them no mind. This young man was just a poet and a painter, weaker than a sandbag in a military camp. She held him with one hand and kept punching him in the face, leaving him drenched in blood and bruises.

Then, she lifted him and threw him into a corner of the wall.

The spectators around even broke into light applause.

"Who dares act like this here!?" shouted a small lackey nearby.

Lou Wanjun grabbed him by the collar as well.

"I was just wondering who to speak to," she said with a tight smile. "Tell me, is your father really such an important person that it lets you stir up trouble in the city?"

The young Master Du, his eyes swollen from the blows, finally opened his eyes and shouted, "You filthy bitch! You’re asking for death!"

Hearing "filthy bitch," Lou Wanjun held her breath, rolled up her sleeves, and was about to give him another beating.

But at that moment, someone raised their hand to stop her.

He wore a rough cloth robe, the seams plainly stitched, yet once worn by this man, the garment looked surprisingly clean and straight. The hand that intervened in front of Lou Wanjun was pale, which made her look up to see the owner of the hand.

... What a handsome young man! Lou Wanjun paused and couldn't help but stare at him for a moment longer.

He was clean and elegant, quite tall. His face had a clear, slightly cold aura, and he emitted a faint scent of books.

He seemed to be the same young man named Nie Cong whom the others had addressed earlier.

"Miss needs not worry," Nie Cong said in a clear voice. "This individual is not worth approaching, I can handle it myself. You’d better leave first."

Lou Wanjun looked at him, then glanced at her own attire.

Indeed, her clothes were clean and neat, very simple and modest, nothing like those of someone powerful. She had never been one to show off, and she felt comfortable in this kind of clothing, especially since she was used to riding horses and practicing martial arts.

However, at that moment, Lou Wanjun felt a strong urge to stand out.

How could she not want to protect someone who was unjustly treated in the streets, someone who wasn’t ostentatious, and even cared about not dragging her into his own perilous situation?

Lou Wanjun placed her hand on the young man’s arm, smiled, and said, "Don’t worry."

Then, with a determined step, she advanced and, in front of everyone, approached the young Master Du and gave him a few kicks.

Next, she crouched down, lifted him, and with one hand, took the money he had on him, then tossed it to Nie Cong.

Lou Wanjun turned to Nie Cong. "For your letters. Take this."

She then turned to the young Master Du and said loudly, "Now, tell me who your father is and let me see."

The corners of young Master Du’s mouth were swollen from the blows, and he struggled to speak, but he managed to say in a loud voice, "My father is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, Du Ren. What does that matter to you? Do you think you can mock me just because you're a street rat?"

Lou Wanjun burst into laughter.
"Shame on me, but I can indeed mock you," she said. "Do you want to make a bet? Today, neither you nor your father are in a good position."
She then let the young Master Du fall to the ground and straightened up.
The young Master Du persisted in his position. "Arrogant words!"
"There are even more arrogant ones," Lou Wanjun said, looking him up and down before turning to the lackeys beside him.
"You, hold him tightly. If any of you dares to cause trouble here again, the next person to correct you will be Lou Yue. And if there’s a next time, it will be Huo Wujiu."

Who was this young girl in front of them? The people around didn't know, but everyone knew who the great General Lou Yue was, and who Huo Wujiu was.
A murmur of surprise spread, and even the lackeys began to tremble.

At that moment, a carriage sped past and stopped abruptly beside them. The person inside the carriage pulled open the curtain, a look of genuine surprise on his face. "My sister, Wanjun?"
Lou Wanjun turned around, blinking in confusion.
Huo Yuyan? Why was he here?

For a moment, Lou Wanjun didn’t know whether she should address him as Brother Huo or Your Royal Highness, and she stood frozen, feeling a bit awkward.

As for Huo Yuyan in the carriage, his gaze subtly swept over the people present.
The young men who had been beaten didn’t catch his attention, and neither did the passersby.
What stood out to him was the determination and sense of justice emanating from Lou Wanjun at that moment, as well as the presence of the young man in tattered clothes standing next to the damaged stall. He was tall, well-built, and his face... particularly striking.
Huo Yuyan's gaze darkened slightly.

 

Translator : DarNan