Demon Lord Gets Married

Chapter 94

Chapter 94 - One Word Is Enough

“Ah, splendid. Our family's Literari Star can finally be utilized,” Huo Yiloong lauded with a hint of malice.

Yin Xu regarded Huo Yidao with a peculiar glance. This man claimed to impart lessons on etiquette and fraternity? Truly absurd.

Huo Yidao's disposition bore no resemblance to his namesake. He neither resembled a scholar nor a warrior.

Yet, within this Taoist Jianghu, he possessed remarkable charm.

“Many thanks,” Yin Xu uttered insincerely before departing the room, following the butler.

“Seventh Young Master, the courtyard I've arranged for you is quite distant. I hope it meets your approval.”

Yin Xu stifled a yawn, having had little sleep the previous night. “I'd best rest; it won't be for long anyway.”

Huo Qin smiled but remained silent, finding the Seventh Young Master intriguing—a scion of such a prestigious family aspiring to be a renowned male companion.

Yet, perhaps, as he claimed, he had genuinely fallen for the Third Prince.

Reflecting, who else but someone in love would make such an irrational choice?

Still, Huo Qin couldn't fathom. Could this love truly outweigh wealth and power? Was it worth more than a lifetime of prosperity?

Huo Qin escorted him not to his chambers but handed him over to a servant. After all, the household staff were his superiors.

The servant nodded deferentially, concealing his disdain. As soon as Huo Qin left, his sycophantic grin vanished, replaced by a sneer.

“Seventh Young Master, follow this servant. Our Huo Mansion is grand; don't stray,” he instructed before walking away with feigned dignity.

A wealthy and influential family always boasted servants accustomed to asserting superiority.

Yin Xu, low on energy, idly twirled the horsewhip in his hand.

The courtyard allocated to him was indeed remote, requiring an entire incense's duration to traverse.

“Here we are. This is it. I'll be taking my leave now,” the attendant grumbled, his displeasure evident.

“Wait.”

The attendant halted, turning back to face him, waiting indifferently for further instruction.

Yin Xu produced a handful of gold coins from his pouch and tossed them, eliciting a bright smile from the attendant.

“Thank you for your advice, Seventh Young Master. If there's anything you require, please don't hesitate to inform me. It's getting late; you should rest, young master.”

Yin Xu nodded, swiftly wielding a whip from his raised right hand, catching the other party off guard as the next lash struck their body.

“Ah… Seventh Young Master…”

“Pah!” Another resounding crack echoed, mingled with the attendant's cries, resonating from the desolate courtyard.

Writhing in agony, the attendant rolled on the ground, evading Yin Xu's whip while pleading for mercy.

Startled by the commotion, onlookers rushed out, witnessing their young master's disciplinary actions before retreating.

Ceasing after twenty lashes, Yin Xu tossed an exquisite white pouch to the wounded attendant.

“Consider it your reward!” Discarding the whip, Yin Xu left the attendant with the pouch, now silent in pain, and entered the courtyard.

“Young Master, did that lad provoke you?” Wu Sheng massaged his arms, shuddering at the memory of the whip's sting.

“I haven't felt this invigorated since I arrived at this estate.” Yin Xu, a proponent of might, disdained strategic maneuvering.

Despite his prowess, challenging the entire Huo Family meant certain death, compelling them to maintain their dealings with them.

Fortunately, unlike Huo Zhengquan, most of the Huo Family members were tolerable, sparing Yin Xu from undue hardship.

Surveying the temporary residence, Yin Xu found it satisfactory, albeit slightly off-center in location.

“Young Master, lunch awaits from the kitchen. Shall we retire to bed?”

Anxious, Yin Xu agreed and entered the central room, where pre-prepared charcoal pots ensured warmth.

Shedding his outer garments, he lay down, noting the less luxurious, albeit heated, blanket, devoid of his preferred fragrance.

Nearing sleep, a thought flickered: Wu Sheng should fetch Scenic Garden's blanket this afternoon.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already grown accustomed to the Third Prince Mansion as home.

A peculiarity from his past life.

The empress's palace, filled with incense and offerings, featured a portrait of Empress Liu at its center.

Emperor Dechang stood motionless before the portrait, accompanied by chanting monks.

Confession? Teng Yu scoffed inwardly. Each year, he performed this ritual, wondering if he should feel some remorse towards his mother's portrait.

Yet, he reasoned, there was no need. She was merely a woman; what cause for guilt could there be?

For eight years, the imperial palace had remained vacant, while outside, rumors persisted of the Emperor's enduring affection for Empress Liu, a stark irony.

His gaze lingered on the portrait, yet the woman depicted seemed unfamiliar after seven or eight years, unlike the one interred beneath Loong'an Temple.

Stepping out of the grand hall, Teng Yu stood on the stone steps, basking in sunlight, his icy extremities gradually warming.

Each year, this day dragged on, filled with meaningless rituals in a palace as desolate as the cold palace.

How fares Yin Xu in the Huo Family, I wonder?

The name Yin Xu held significance for Teng Yu, though unfamiliar to others. Knowing the person's secret and true name bestowed upon him a sense of honor.

“Your Highness, the Emperor requests your presence.”

Teng Yu turned away from the bustling palace, impatiently declaring, “I shan't go. Inform Father that I have other matters to attend to.”

Observing Teng Yu's departure without a backward glance, Lai Jiquan smiled and hurried inside to relay the news.

The Emperor remained silent, his gaze fixed on the portrait, reminiscing about his brief encounters with the woman.

His approach to Liu Ru`er and their subsequent marriage had been calculated, even Teng Yu's birth had been meticulously planned.

Initially viewing her as an interloper, he gradually realized her innocence, albeit considering her merely a stepping stone.

Confession seemed insufficient, yet guilt lingered.

Perhaps it was a mistake for her to have learned the truth before her passing; her concern for her son had troubled her even in death.

She was, after all, a simple woman who loved him wholeheartedly.

“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager seeks an audience.”

“On this day annually, I receive no one. Does she not know?” the Emperor murmured.

“Yes… But the Empress Dowager wishes to offer incense for the Empress.”

Declining the offer, he instructed, “No need. Summon her back. If she truly wishes, let her return and recite a few scriptures.”

If accused as the primary culprit in Liu Ru'Er's demise, Imperial Consort Yun would hand over the knife.

Ordinarily, he doted on that woman, but on the day of Ru Er's passing, it was wise not to further provoke her.

Standing outside the hall, Imperial Consort Yun clenched her fists upon hearing the attendant's response.

She couldn't fathom the emperor's words. Did he intend for her to apologize by assigning scripture copying to that woman?

How absurd!

A vegetarian diet was mandated for the palace for the remainder of the day. When the dishes arrived at Lanxin Palace, Imperial Consort Yun swept them off the table with a glare. “Begone!”

The young eunuch delivering the food knelt, trembling, baffled by the Empress's ire.

On this day in years past, despite harboring grievances, everyone maintained decorum.

“Empress, what troubles you?” After dismissing the attendants, a palace maid personally knelt to clean the mess.

Imperial Consort Yun sat, sulking, clutching her chest. “The Emperor still harbors thoughts of that woman! And you're still concerned about someone long deceased!”

“Impossible, Empress. Don't dwell on it. Isn't this His Majesty's routine every year? It's merely for show.” The palace maid offered consolation.

“No, it's different. I understand him best. It's not just a show. I wouldn't have reacted this way if it were. I wouldn't have allowed that wretched girl to copy. He regrets it!”

Imperial Consort Yun hurled the cups to the ground bitterly. “I knew it. I knew back then he wasn't acting for my sake.”

The palace maid remained silent. Some truths were better left unspoken.

“Haha, his words sound good, but I believe him. Yet, over these years, he still hasn't granted me a title. Feng Yi'er still isn't crowned. He targeted Liu Ru'er to deal with the Liu Family!”

Imperial Consort Yun muttered to herself, losing composure when matters of the heart arose, despite her intellect.

“Empress, His Majesty surely didn't mean that. Look at your impeccable management of the palace affairs all these years. None can rival you.”

“What does that matter? In the end, I pale in comparison to a corpse!”

“Empress jests. What merit lies in a dead person? Even if His Majesty is fixated, can she return to vie for your favor?”

“No, you don't grasp it. Once the emperor's feelings shift towards that woman, the outcome changes. If he begins to repent, what will become of me, his accomplice?”

“When one loves, they overlook faults. When plans succeed, he praises intelligence; when methods work, he lauds ability. But when love fades, strengths turn to weaknesses.”

“Impossible. Your Highness, you're overthinking it. His Majesty merely spoke casually. Please remain composed.”

“A single utterance suffices.” Imperial Consort Yun struggled to conceal her disappointment. “One sentence reveals his true thoughts. Perhaps, he himself is unaware, his mind subject to change.”

While the Emperor had previously acted with consideration for others, this year marked a departure. Future scenarios might differ.

Nearly thirty years of marriage endowed her with unparalleled insight into the Emperor's character. From youth, she understood his aspirations.

Her actions proved prescient. Over time, she garnered his respect and remorse, emotions maturing into love.

Yet, she erred as well. Forgetting the fickleness of a man's heart, a change of mind rendered all efforts fleeting, every deed a potential source of regret.

Intimately acquainted with male psychology, these conjectures might not manifest immediately, but they inevitably would.

Imperial Consort Yun delicately wiped blood from her fingers. “Tomorrow, during our departure for the hunt, arrange for Brother to join us. I have matters to discuss with him.”

“Understood.”

In the northwest corner of the imperial palace stood a lofty tower. Teng Yu sat atop its highest floor, surveying Shengjing and pinpointing the Huo Family's location.

In such moments, he longed for that person's presence.

…

Wu Sheng: “Your Highness, Young Master sent me to retrieve his blanket!”

Teng Yu: “His blanket? Is the Huo Family still short on blankets for him?”

Wu Sheng: “Young Master mentioned he prefers his own bed at home.”

Teng Yu: “Wait a moment…” With that, he shut the door and busied himself inside. After an hour, he emerged with a blanket for Wu Sheng.

That night, Yin Xu sensed something amiss as he covered himself with the blanket.

“Such a familiar scent.” Despite missing the comfort of his home quilt, it shouldn't have been this thick.

He scrutinized the quilt under the light repeatedly until he discovered a suspicious white stain. Beside it, a small note read: “If you miss me at night, just smell it.”

Struck dumb, Yin Xu exclaimed, “Teng Yu, you're shameless!”