At these words, the great hall instantly fell into complete silence. The ministers around, each forcefully looking elsewhere, tried to give the impression that they had not heard these words. But Huo Yuyan remained vigilant and sensitive, and even so, he keenly perceived the questioning gazes coming from all directions.

He gritted his teeth.

To establish oneself in the court, it is essential to learn to speak diplomatically. But apparently, Prince Jing did not possess this fundamental quality.

Huo Yuyan bit his lip, forcing a calm smile.

"The Prince Jing is joking," he said softly, slightly dismissing Jiang Suizhou’s words.

Then, he averted his gaze and walked to the top of the table, where he took a seat without looking back.

"Tonight is the full moon of the fifteenth day. Even though it’s not the eighth month, it’s still worth gathering. This family banquet doesn’t require discussion of court matters."

He swept the room with a smiling glance, raised his glass, and continued: "Don’t hold back, just enjoy the evening."

He took a sip of his drink, skillfully avoiding Jiang Suizhou’s provocations and thus signaling the start of the banquet.

Huo Yuyan maintained his smile, set down his glass, and picked up his chopsticks.

But then he heard Jiang Suizhou’s voice again.

"Aren’t the affairs of the Lou family the responsibility of the Crown Prince?" he said casually.

Huo Yuyan’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Prince Jing," he said in a cold voice, with a hint of irritation, "These are just rumors; it’s better not to tarnish this young lady’s reputation."

Hearing this, Jiang Suizhou smiled casually.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room became tense, with the ministers looking up from their glasses and chopsticks, unintentionally halting their movements.

"Prince Jing, what do you mean by that?" Now, Huo Yuyan’s smile was strained.

Jiang Suizhou looked up, relaxed, with a mocking expression.

"The young lady Lou has already prepared her dowry, hasn’t she?" he said. "If the Crown Prince doesn’t want to tarnish her reputation, he’d better take her back home."

After that, he laughed and took a sip of his drink.

"But I wonder, are these three hundred thousand soldiers meant to be the personal guard of the prince? Isn’t the army a bit too large?"

Now, everyone could hear the tone of his words.

Especially Huo Yuyan.

He knew that Prince Jing was being arrogant now simply because he had Huo Wuji by his side. Huo Wuji was his support, and those three hundred thousand soldiers who had rallied to him only strengthened his position.

He relied on them for the security of his current position. If those three hundred thousand soldiers fell into someone else’s hands, he would be more worried than anyone else.

Huo Yuyan found it ironic, but his face showed a slight discomfort.

He looked at Huo Wuji.

At that moment, Huo Wuji was sitting there, his face somewhat dark this time. He placed his hands on his knees, furrowing his brows and staring at the bowls on the table. After a moment, he cast a warning glance at Prince Jing beside him.

But this time, Prince Jing seemed oblivious to all of this. He was too busy looking at Huo Yuyan with a challenging expression, seeming confident, as though he knew he could humiliate Huo Yuyan that evening and leave him speechless.

This sparked a hint of curiosity in Huo Yuyan. He paused, slowed his tone slightly, and softened his expression, perhaps in an attempt to reason with Jiang Suizhou.

"Crown Prince, under the heavens, there is no land that is not governed by a king, no border that is not guarded by a vassal. First, this matter of soldiers cannot be considered as a dowry. Second, no soldier under heaven belongs to anyone, except to the great Dynasty," he remarked.

He looked at Jiang Suizhou and gave him a gentle smile.

But Jiang Suizhou responded with undisguised contempt.

"I’ve never heard of that," he said. "I’ve only heard that acting with indulgence toward others leads to no good. Isn’t that right, Crown Prince?"

Huo Yuyan's face instantly cooled.
...Did he dare to ridicule him by accusing him of licentious behavior?
It was an outrage, especially coming from him, a prince. But the remark struck a sensitive nerve.
“You...” His face turned pale.
But at that moment, Huo Wuji interrupted him.
“Are you done?” His voice was icy, tinged with strong irritation, with the imminent threat of a storm.
He said these words while looking at Prince Jing.
Huo Yuyan then saw Prince Jing freeze, and then turn his gaze to Huo Wuji.
When their eyes met, Prince Jing’s proud expression instantly froze, his eyes even showing a hint of fear.
“General…” Prince Jing’s voice suddenly became weaker.
“I asked if you’re done or not?” Huo Wuji’s face showed no sign of easing up, and his voice became even colder.
Prince Jing scowled, folded his hands on his lap, and timidly looked at Huo Wuji, unable to speak.
The hall was now silent.
Huo Wuji spoke again.
“Remember,” he said. “The person sitting over there is both the Crown Prince and my brother. Do you understand?”
After a moment of hesitation, Prince Jing nodded, reluctantly but apprehensively.
“What should we do now?” asked Huo Wuji, slightly annoyed.
Prince Jing looked at him for a moment, then looked up, opening his mouth reluctantly.
“…Crown Prince,” his voice was weak. “I spoke out of turn.”
*
This meal, although it was supposed to be a family reunion, ended quickly, no one truly enjoying the moment.

The entire banquet was quickly dispatched, and afterward, Huo Yuyan immediately called Huo Wuji into a room at the back of the hall, as he had something to say to him.
When Huo Wuji was led inside, his face still wasn't in a good state.
Huo Yuyan observed all of this without showing any emotion, although he noticed it clearly.
"Why are you still upset?" He was sitting on the couch, drinking tea. When he saw Huo Wuji enter, he put down his cup and stood to greet him.
Huo Wuji gestured for him to sit back down and adjusted his clothes before sitting across from him.
"That's all so disrespectful." He frowned, seeming annoyed. "I've spoiled him too much."
Huo Wuji had already said something similar to him before. But back then, he had been so in love that he enjoyed pampering him. No matter how disrespectful the words were, Huo Wuji let him do it.
But now...
Huo Yuyan knew that if his suspicions were correct, Huo Wuji's initial excitement over the novelty had probably worn off.
This Prince Jing was truly full of ostentation, daring to speak of him in licentious terms during the banquet. But wasn’t it also true of him? Hadn’t he placed his entire life in the hands of an enemy general? Did he really think that Huo Wuji would protect him forever?
Huo Yuyan clearly realized this.
He smiled and tried to reason with Huo Wuji: "Wasn't it you who encouraged him? But it's not that serious. Aside from his rude words, he hasn’t done anything truly bad."
Huo Wuji frowned.
He muttered softly, "I'm really annoyed."
Huo Yuyan tried to comfort him with a smile: "But it’s you who chose him to be by your side, right?"
"He seemed fresh back then, but now he has a bitter taste." Huo Wuji furrowed his brows. "After all this time, he should be more obedient, shouldn’t he? At first, he was proud, which was understandable. But if he continues to be so impudent, it will only create problems."
He took a sip of the tea on the table and looked at Huo Yuyan with confusion.
"He is very obedient when he’s with me privately," he noted. "Otherwise, I wouldn’t have accepted him. But why does he always stir up trouble whenever he sees you?"

Huo Yuyan knew very well that he should not escalate the situation.
He lowered his gaze, an ironic smile on his lips.
"It only happens when you're here. But when you're not, who knows how he behaves?"
Then, he seemed to remember something, frowning slightly with concern.
He added, "He seems very skilled at hiding his true intentions. Think about it. He shows many faces in front of you, but who knows what he's really thinking?"
He looked at Huo Wuji, his eyes full of concern.
"I don’t want to meddle in your family matters," he added. "But the backyard is often the place most prone to chaos. This man has a bad influence. He will certainly cause trouble behind your back. Moreover, he’s a man. He won’t stay forever. One day, you will marry and have children. If he continues to behave like this, it could cause serious problems."
He had been thinking of saying this for a long time, and the words came naturally from his mouth. After all, he knew that if such things were said during a romantic moment, they would pass like a breeze. But if said when their relationship was strained, it would only pour oil on the fire.
Indeed, Huo Wuji’s brow furrowed even more.
"...This is really annoying," he said. "So, older brother, what should we do?"
Huo Yuyan remained silent for a moment and then gently said,
"Even though this shouldn’t be said like this, it’s better to get rid of someone like him as soon as possible."
Huo Yuyan said nothing more.
He was still vindictive, and his intention was naturally to destroy Prince Jing. But even if Huo Wuji had grown tired of him, he wasn’t going to abandon him entirely. His goal had therefore not been achieved.
But... the time would come.
As he was thinking about this, Huo Wuji spoke again.
"But, I’m starting to get old, and the backyard can’t stay empty," he said. "In the meantime, older brother, could you help me find someone? Someone suitable among the young women of Lin'an?"
Huo Yuyan was surprised.

Indeed. It seemed that young men would discard something as soon as they grew bored of it, only to find another right away.
"This shouldn’t be too difficult," he smiled. "But you should make sure to manage the one who's already here. Don’t let the newcomer be scared and run off as soon as she arrives."
Huo Wuji frowned.
"This is really annoying," he repeated.
"Well, it just so happens that he insisted on going to have fun in Suzhou a few days ago. I gave my approval; once things are settled here, I’ll bring him back," he said, frowning.
"Ah..." Huo Yuyan looked at him.
Then Huo Wuji continued, "It would be better if he doesn’t come back. I’ll find him a house elsewhere and assign a few people to keep an eye on him. We’ll keep him there in the future."
He really seemed to have lost all interest in him, to the point of wanting to set him aside in another house.
Huo Yuyan's thoughts stirred.
He looked at Huo Wuji, then smiled after a moment.
Why bother finding him a house? He could help Huo Wuji get rid of him, and that would save the cost of buying a house.
Thinking this, Huo Yuyan spoke in a soft voice.
"If that's what you want, then it’s certainly the best thing to do," he said, smiling.

 

Translator : DarNan