22
The sky outside the latticed window gradually brightened, and the warm morning sun began to spill into the room. The man’s tall shadow fell upon the red carpet, overlapping with Ruan An’s small silhouette, enveloping it in an instant.
When Huo Pingxiao spoke the words “wife and son,” something seemed to strike Ruan An’s heart. Along with an uncontrollable flutter, a faint heat silently crept from her cheeks to her ears.
She suddenly remembered that back when they were in Xinghua Village in Jiazhou, Huo Pingxiao had spoken to her in the same way, direct and unreserved.
But if this continued, she would give herself away…
Time had been limited that day, and Huo Pingxiao hadn’t had the chance to ask why she had suddenly appeared in Chang’an. He likely didn’t know that she admired him.
She had to hide it and restrain herself. Otherwise, he might suspect she was a woman with ulterior motives.
With that thought, Ruan An deliberately changed the subject: “Recently, rumors about you and me have been spreading throughout the capital. I don’t understand why. Does the Marquis know the reason?”
“I ordered those stories to be spread.”
As Huo Pingxiao spoke, he sat down in a nearby armchair.
Her suspicion confirmed, Ruan An still asked, “Why did the Marquis do that?”
Those rumors not only included gossip about her and Huo Pingxiao but also greatly exaggerated her medical skills.
“I want you to marry me as the itinerant physician Healer Ruan from Jiannan. But the noble families of Chang’an only recognize marriages between equals.”
As he said this, Huo Pingxiao slightly lowered his gaze, his meaning quite subtle.
Ruan An naturally understood the implication behind Huo Pingxiao’s words.
It was simply a matter of differing social status. For someone of her background to become a marquis’s wife would seem utterly absurd to outsiders.
“But don’t overthink it. Empress Liu E of the previous dynasty was also an orphaned girl from Shu, and she nearly ruled as regent even became emperor. As for me, I only hold the title of marquis. There’s nothing particularly rare about it. It’s just that some people are gossipy, and I was afraid you might mind.”
Huo Pingxiao had arranged everything for her and even spoke words of comfort, this made Ruan An naturally moved.
But entering a marquis’s household was as deep as the sea. In her previous life, she had seen enough of the conflicts and disputes within the inner palace. The gates of a noble house were no different from the palace gates. She wasn’t sure she could adapt to such a completely new life.
Ruan An parted her soft lips, looking as though she wanted to say something but hesitated.
“Having second thoughts about marrying me?”
Seeing her expression, Huo Pingxiao’s cool brows and eyes lowered slightly, concealing the faint trace of gloom lurking in his pupils.
He felt that Ruan An was still somewhat afraid of him, so he maintained a gentle demeanor toward her.
But with this hesitation, was she still thinking of Li Yifang?
With that thought, the man’s voice, as cold and hard as chilled gold and jade, took on a slightly brusque edge: “I’m not inferior to that Li Yifang, am I?”
Mid-sentence, Huo Pingxiao suddenly realized that Huo Xi shouldn’t stay to continue listening to their conversation, so he told the little boy to step out for a moment.
Huo Xi obediently nodded to Huo Pingxiao and trotted out of the hall on his short little legs.
But the boy was no ordinary child. Though he had agreed nicely, he secretly hid behind the lattice screen, cupping his chubby hand to his ear, blinking his thick dark lashes as he continued eavesdropping.
Ruan An continued, “It has nothing to do with him. The Marquis knows very well that I come from a village background. I’m not sure I can adapt to life in a noble household. What if… in a moment of impulse, you marry me, but then we gradually grow estranged and our relationship sours… I need to leave myself a way out.”
At that time, Huo Pingxiao was pressed for time as he had to head to Qianzhong to suppress the rebellion, but he had still made two preparations for this marriage between him and Ruan An.
Keeping the death of the deceased Fang Ran a secret was his other preparation.
This young woman seemed particularly attached to her identity as a healer. If she married into the marquis’s household as an itinerant physician, she would no longer be able to practice medicine.
“Alright, I understand.”
Having said this, Huo Pingxiao stood up from the armchair.
After walking to Ruan An’s side, he lowered his gaze to look at this timid young woman and said in a gentle, slow tone, “But I must ask you to make a concession, Miss Ruan, to marry me as the cousin of the Fang family.”
He had never tasted the flavor of love between a man and a woman before. He had always thought such a thing was nothing special, not worth yearning for.
But Ruan An was the mother of his child, and he had reached the age for marriage. Perhaps Ruan An didn’t feel much affection for him now, but as they spent time together, she might come to accept him for Huo Xi’s sake, and they could become a reasonably loving couple.
Thinking this, Huo Pingxiao gazed once more at Ruan An’s soft, warm features and made her a promise: “If you marry me as my cousin, I swear I will never take a concubine. That way, after you become the mistress of the household, there will be no disputes from the back courtyard.”
“It’s just that I’ve always been away fighting battles and have been too lazy to manage the residence His Majesty bestowed upon me. After we marry, you may have to stay with me temporarily at the Prime Minister’s residence.”
Ruan An’s thick, long lashes fluttered. She nodded, somewhat dazed.
“If after we marry, you truly dislike me and wish to separate, I am prepared to write you a letter of divorce at any time.”
Having said this much, Huo Pingxiao noticed that Ruan An’s expression seemed somewhat strange. He could not discern the emotion contained within her beautiful, shimmering eyes.
He then felt that he shouldn’t let her bring up the matter of divorce too quickly.
“But you and I are Huo Xi’s parents. We must also consider the child. If you truly wish to separate, don’t rush it. Why not wait until Huo Xi enters official service or gets married before bringing it up? No matter the outcome, I will ensure your remaining years are safe and worry-free.”
Huo Xi, who had been hiding behind the lattice screen, had heard all of Huo Pingxiao’s promises to Ruan An. The boy firmly committed the last words the man spoke to his memory.
The boy counted on his fingers.
He was only three and a half years old this year. Children younger than four cannot get married.
But entering official service—that was a possibility.
Great Li had a Children’s Examination category, open to children as young as three. As long as one could recite nine thousand characters from the Classic of Filial Piety and the Analects before the Imperial Historian, there was a chance to enter official service.
In Jiazhou, there was a brother a few years older than him who, after taking the Children’s Examination, was summoned directly by His Majesty’s decree to Chang’an and became a young scholar at the Hongwen Academy.
The tutor his mother had hired had also said that although he was young, his intellect was no less than that older brother’s, and he could also try taking the Children’s Examination.
Sensing that Huo Pingxiao seemed about to head outside, Huo Xi quickly trotted on his short legs away from the lattice screen.
His pupils were black and clear, but in his heart, he was thinking: If he could pass the imperial exams and become an official earlier, would this man who claimed to be his father be able to divorce his mother sooner?
Prime Minister’s Residence.
“This is the child she bore me. His name is Huo Xi.”
As Huo Pingxiao spoke, his large hand with distinct knuckles cupped the back of the boy’s head and gently pushed little Huo Xi toward Huo Lang’s wheelchair.
Upon seeing this, Huo Lang’s expression remained very calm, betraying no reaction.
The servants standing to one side, upon learning that the young Marquis Huo had suddenly acquired a son, all widened their eyes in shock.
Though the child had been lost outside for many years and was very small, he possessed an innate noble bearing.
Having suddenly arrived in the unfamiliar environment of the residence, his gaze showed no trace of fear—he neither cried nor fussed.
Huo Xi recognized Huo Lang as the old grandfather who had given him a gold ingot at the Western Market that day.
So, he was his grandfather!
Huo Xi felt more favorably toward this grandfather than toward his biological father, Huo Pingxiao. After walking to Huo Lang’s side, without Huo Pingxiao prompting him, Huo Xi very naturally called out in his milky voice, “Hello, Grandfather~”
Madam Gao, watching Huo Xi’s features, which closely resembled the Huo family’s, and his innocent, adorable appearance, couldn’t help but feel somewhat embarrassed.
Only after Huo Pingxiao returned from Qianzhong did he tell her and Huo Lang that the young woman he was going to marry was the distant cousin of the Fang family.
The explanation given by this living devil was that a few years earlier, when he was still serving in Jiannan Circuit, Concubine Fang had sent him a letter asking him to visit this distant relative, who had lost both parents, on her behalf whenever he had time.
Then, this living devil had taken a liking to the girl, but she didn’t care much for him. In a moment of impulse, he had done some improper things to the young cousin.
Later, Huo Pingxiao had to go to the frontier to fight. Since the young cousin truly had no feelings for him, he didn’t force her to follow him. It was only after he discovered that she was carrying his child that he finally decided to take responsibility.
After listening to Huo Pingxiao’s explanation, Madam Gao was utterly astounded. She remembered that Huo Lang’s expression had also darkened somewhat at the time, his look unreadable, yet he didn’t seem to be angry with Huo Pingxiao.
Huo Lang did not criticize Huo Pingxiao. Instead, he responded with silence, thereby consenting to Huo Pingxiao’s marriage.
Madam Gao observed that Huo Lang’s attitude toward the boy was fairly gentle. Besides, the child was indeed adorable and endearing.
She couldn’t help but wonder: when would she finally hold a legitimate grandson of her own?
Truth be told, Madam Gao had never been entirely satisfied with Huo Changjue’s marriage. At that time, she had believed Huo Pingxiao had died in battle, and the Huo family’s power and influence were no longer what they had been.
Madam Gao hadn’t wanted her son to suffer grievances, nor did she want an incoming daughter-in-law who relied on her noble birth and was too domineering, possibly overshadowing her, the mother-in-law. So, she had chosen the eldest daughter of the He family—He Xinruo.
But He Xinruo’s birth mother was also no ordinary woman. Although the He family’s status wasn’t particularly prominent, He Xinruo at least had her maternal family as a support in Chang’an.
But the cousin from the Fang family in Shu was different.
That young cousin had no parents and was living on the charity of the Duke of Pei’s mansion. If she had borne a child for the man who had once forced himself on her and endured that humiliation, her character was surely weak and easy to control.
Madam Gao thought, since this Fang family cousin was entering the household first, she would take the opportunity while Huo Pingxiao was away to properly assert control over this eldest daughter-in-law.
Forbidden Court, Liangyi Hall.
The emperor had been reviewing memorials at his dragon desk when suddenly, the sound of a woman’s sobbing came from outside the hall—
“Father Emperor, Father Emperor… wu wu wu…”
Her voice preceded her arrival. Xiao Yan, disregarding the head eunuch’s attempts to stop her, had already lifted her skirt and rushed into the grand hall.
The head eunuch said in terror, “Your Majesty, this subject did try to stop Her Highness… she insisted on barging in.”
The emperor did not grow angry. He merely waved his hand, signaling all the palace attendants in the hall to withdraw to the side.
Soon, only Xiao Yan and the emperor remained in the hall.
Xiao Yan had not stopped sobbing. She cried until the rims of her eyes were swollen. The moment she remembered that Huo Pingxiao was about to be married and had suddenly acquired a child, her heart and liver ached as if pierced by a knife.
The emperor doted on Xiao Yan, his daughter, more than any other, wishing he could give her the finest things in all the world.
But Xiao Yan was too fond of Huo Pingxiao.
Later, after weighing the matter, he decided that he should not have Huo Pingxiao marry the princess. Given the young man’s temperament, even if he accepted the imperial decree, he would not live peacefully. Then Xiao Yan would cause conflicts on both sides, and she and her father might grow estranged—that would be even worse.
That morning, when Huo Lang entered the palace and requested an imperial edict for the marriage, it had actually solved the emperor’s pressing problem. He also hoped that Xiao Yan would take this opportunity to abandon her desire to marry Huo Pingxiao. Chang’an was full of fine young men—he wasn’t the only one.
“Yan’er, I have already told you. Once this edict is proclaimed, it cannot be revoked.”
Xiao Yan stomped her foot in anger and said tearfully, “But this subject only likes him! If not… then Father Emperor could issue another edict, allowing this subject and that Fang family cousin to be co-wives of equal status…”
“Absurd!”
The emperor finally showed a trace of anger. He truly could not understand why Xiao Yan was so obsessed with Huo Pingxiao. As a legitimate princess, to utter such nonsense as co-wifeship right in front of him was beyond reason.
The empress had introduced many outstanding, eligible young men to Xiao Yan, but she remained fixated on that boorish man.
And it wasn’t just Xiao Yan. The foolish things other young ladies had done for Huo Pingxiao were no less crazy than Xiao Yan’s behavior.
Was it all because of his face? The emperor truly could not fathom it.
He Mansion.
He Xinyuan’s acne had all healed. Recently, as evening approached, she had been walking around the mansion more frequently.
But whenever He Xinruo saw her increasingly charming face, she felt growing irritation. Fortunately, He Xinyuan’s marriage prospects were still unsettled.
He Xinruo thought: She is just a concubine’s daughter. Father won’t arrange a good match for her.
Once she married into the Huo family, she would surely return to her parents’ home in grand style, making sure that concubine’s daughter and Concubine Fang witnessed firsthand the proper demeanor of a legitimate daughter!
While He Xinruo silently comforted herself again and again, her maidservant Yinqiao entered the inner chamber with a worried expression.
He Xinruo asked coldly, “I am to be married in less than a month. Why are you pulling such a long face? How inauspicious.”
Yinqiao was unsure how to broach the subject.
After He Xinruo shot her a sharp glance, she finally replied, “Eldest Miss, your wedding date may need to be postponed.”
“What?”
The corners of He Xinruo’s eyes twitched. She feared that now that Huo Pingxiao had returned, the Huo family might again look down on her background. Postponing the wedding might be a way to delay her marriage to Huo Changjue, and ultimately call the whole thing off, that would be disastrous.
Yinqiao replied in a trembling voice, “Because… because the Marquis of Dingbei is taking a wife, and his wedding date is also set for next month… So as the younger brother, Huo Changjue naturally must postpone his wedding…”
Hearing this, He Xinruo thought she should first look into the identity of her future sister-in-law, so she asked, “Who is the Marquis of Dingbei marrying?”
Yinqiao then relayed everything she had learned: “It seems to be the Marquis’s distant cousin from the Fang family.”
“A distant cousin from the Fang family? How could the Marquis of Dingbei be interested in a collateral branch cousin?”
Yinqiao replied, “It seems… because that cousin bore him a child.”
He Xinruo suddenly understood.
Well, well. So this Fang family cousin was indeed no simple figure. But even if she had used a child to climb up, given Huo Pingxiao’s untamed character, he might not necessarily make her his legal wife.
This Fang family cousin must have considerable skill, knowing how to use her vulnerability to make a man feel guilty.
However, He Xinruo had heard plenty recently about the rumors between Huo Pingxiao and that healer named Ruan. That little cousin had nothing to be smug about.
After all, the Marquis of Dingbei’s true love was clearly not her.
On the Wedding Day.
The official roads of Chang’an were lined with ten miles of red dowry procession. Such a grand spectacle naturally drew countless onlookers.
Many remarked that only someone with as much power as the Marquis of Dingbei could, under such circumstances, still hold such a public wedding without anyone daring to utter gossip to his face. It was just a pity for all those young ladies who had once foolishly pined for him.
Ruan An had learned some etiquette at the Duke of Pei’s mansion and had thoroughly memorized from Concubine Fang the details of Fang Ran’s past experiences, personality, and usual preferences.
Fang Ran had been an outgoing, cheerful person. She also loved studying medicine, though constrained by the proprieties between men and women, she specialized in treating women’s illnesses.
If she were still alive, Ruan An was sure they would have had much in common.
From now on, she would live in the marquis’s household under the identity of Fang Ran. Before outsiders, to make the act more convincing, she would need to call Huo Pingxiao… “Cousin.”
In truth, as a healer, Ruan An felt some aversion to cousin marriage. When Fang Ran Sun was still alive, he had thought the Li Kingdom should add a law forbidding marriage not only within five degrees of kinship, but even beyond five degrees and any blood relation at all should preclude marriage.
Sitting in the wedding sedan, her thoughts wandered. Throughout the journey, her expression was dazed; she even doubted whether all this might just be a dream.
When she woke up, would she still be that frighteningly ugly old woman in the palace, spending her days washing clothes in the Palace of Punishments?
After nightfall.
The bridal chamber was brightly lit with candles, as bright as day.
After paying respects to the elders and meeting her parents-in-law of the Huo family, Ruan An was assisted by servant women to sit properly upon the bridal bed.
She did not know how long she had sat there. From nervousness, her small, thin body trembled incessantly.
Her two fair, slender hands were clasped tightly together, her palms seeping with fine, dense sweat.
Just as she was about to ask Fuling about Huo Xi’s condition, she suddenly heard raucous laughter from outside the chamber.
Huo Pingxiao’s subordinates were mostly military officers. From their tones, they were clearly quite drunk. In their inebriated state, their language became coarse and crude.
Ruan An was not an inexperienced maiden. Having immersed herself in studying medical principles, she understood more about marital matters than ordinary young ladies. She could naturally grasp the meaning behind the soldiers’ words outside.
As the shouting and clamor outside grew louder, Ruan An’s fair little face flushed deeper red. The maidservants could no longer bear listening and were about to step outside to stop the coarse soldiers’ behavior.
“All of you, withdraw.”
The man’s cold, hard voice suddenly rang out. In a deep tone, he continued, “If you’re drunk, go find somewhere to sober up. Don’t come here disturbing my wife.”
“Yes, sir!”
Though still intoxicated, the military officers feared Huo Pingxiao’s authority. After apologizing to him, they quickly left the area outside the bridal chamber.
Hearing that they had finally left, Ruan An became even more nervous than before.
Because this meant Huo Pingxiao would enter at any moment.
And sure enough, moments later, the maids inside the bridal chamber greeted in unison: “May the Marquis be blessed. Congratulations to the Marquis on this joyful occasion.”
Behind her red veil, the beauty held her breath. Her heart pounded like a drum, relentless and unceasing.
Through the veil, she sensed that Huo Pingxiao had walked to stand before her.
The brilliant red before her eyes gradually faded. The soft fabric brushed upward across her face—her cheeks, the tip of her nose, her forehead, and her phoenix crown.
The veil embroidered with mandarin ducks was finally lifted by the man using a jade ruyi and fell to the ground.
But Ruan An dared not lift her eyes to look at him. Those long-accumulated feelings, once sprouted, were impossible to restrain.
Of course, she was joyful but also far too nervous.
“Lift your eyes.”
Huo Pingxiao’s deep voice came from above her head. Ruan An lowered her lashes, then raised her face as he instructed. The man’s warm fingertip pressed against her chin.
“Husband…”
Ruan An felt she ought to call him “husband,” but she hadn’t expected her voice to come out so soft and trembling—almost delicate and plaintive.
After she uttered the word “husband,” a subtle change flickered in Huo Pingxiao’s eyes.
Overcome with shyness, Ruan An averted her gaze from him again. The man ordered the maids to help remove her phoenix crown.
Once the maids withdrew, only she and Huo Pingxiao remained in the inner chamber.
The large red wedding candles were carved with golden dragons and phoenixes, symbols of good fortune. Suddenly, a crackling sound burst from the wicks. The spring breeze, carrying moisture, slowly drifted into the room.
Ruan An exhaled a soft, sweet breath.
Just as she was about to speak to him again, she felt a ticklish sensation on the soft flesh of her earlobe.
The man had extended his index finger and flicked it.
“What are you afraid of?”
The man’s cool brows and eyes lowered slightly, exuding nonchalance.
The moment his deep voice fell, her slender, soft waist was suddenly seized by his strong, powerful arm.
Supporting her by the bend of her knees, Huo Pingxiao lifted Ruan An onto his body. Immediately, she shrank back, her slender, fair neck retracting slightly.
Seeing this, the man chuckled softly. He fixed his gaze on her timid eyes and asked in a low voice, “What do you think I’m going to do—eat you?”
“I’m not afraid.”
Ruan An refuted softly. She didn’t want to be too submissive in front of Huo Pingxiao.
Huo Pingxiao continued to gaze intently at her face. His eyes were open and frank, yet a faint predatory gleam lurked within his dark pupils, as if he were about to devour his prey.
Ruan An did not see that sharp, seizing look. She only felt that her earlobe, which he had flicked, still itched, and she wanted to scratch it.
Just as she raised her slender wrist, Huo Pingxiao’s strong, large hand caught her small one before it could reach up, then slowly enveloped it in his rough palm.
The young woman’s lashes fluttered slowly.
She caught the scent of his cold, deep amber fragrance, carrying a hint of warmth. Her entire being was surrounded by his familiar body heat, as if bathed in blazing sunlight.
Ruan An suddenly felt that the riddled, gaping crevices lurking deep in her heart were also being illuminated by that warm light—filled in, even healed.
This familiar yet unfamiliar feeling made her nose suddenly sting with emotion.
Yes, in the dark, lightless days of her previous life, he and Huo Xi had been the sun in her heart.
Drop by drop, tears began to stream uncontrollably from Ruan An’s eyes.
Seeing the young woman in his arms looking like a frail, pitiful young rabbit, Huo Pingxiao suddenly leaned down, drew close to her, and let out a helpless, low sigh.
Then, the man moved even closer to Ruan An’s face. With a hint of possessiveness, he pressed his forehead against her soft brow.
His tall shadow fell upon the brocade quilt, enveloping her completely.
His lashes gently brushed against her thin, delicate eyelids, bringing a slight tickle, and gradually intertwined with her own.
“Do you still remember.”
He clearly only asked half the question, then suddenly kissed her forehead. Releasing her hand, he instead gripped her wrist bone, his cool lips moving to the side of her neck.
This time, his pressure was noticeably heavier.
Ruan An could no longer see his eyes. She only felt the man’s low, deep voice, full of desire, restrained and hoarse, as he asked again: “That first time… exactly what did I do to you?”
**